


The Difference Between Living and Being Alive

by rebel_raven



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alfredo needs to fix his shit, Almost Drowning, Alternate Universe-GTA V, Alternate Universe-soulmates, And general migraines, Anxiety, Attempted break in thats stopped, BAMF Alfredo, BAMF Gavin, BAMF Jack, BAMF Jeremy, Being able to feel soulmates pain, Blood, Blow Jobs, Bottom Alfredo, Canon-Typical Violence, Dirty Talk, Druids, ER Nurse Alfredo, Empath, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, FAHC, Fainting, Feeling Soulmates emotions, Fiona is fearless dear god, Flirting, Fluff, Foresight magic, Found Family, Gavin is almost literally a furnace, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, Healing, Healthy communication and respect of boundries, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Magical Creatures, Magical prejudice, Making Out, Michael just got turned around, Mild Angst, Mild mix up, Mild touch adverse Alfredo, Mild touch starved Alfredo, Minor wounds, Modern magic AU, Multi, No lasting damage, Non-lethal pranks, Phoenix - Freeform, Poly Relationships, Praise Kink, Pranks on the LSPD, Prejudice against fae, Protective FAHC, Protective Lindsay, Protective Meg, Protective Trevor, Protectiveness, RT Writing Community, Secret Santa, Selkies, Shenanigans and silliness, So much flirting, Softness, Soulmarks, Soulmates, Soulmates but with a twist, Street Racer Gavin, Trans Female Character, Trans Jack, Trans Jeremy, Trans Male Character, Vampires, but there is a happy ending, cuddling for warmth, fae, glamours, gonna get there, graphic descriptions of pain, handjobs, just so much fluff, mild depression, mild embarassment, mild slow burn, new years eve kisses, warm cuddles, we get there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:20:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 45,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21829630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_raven/pseuds/rebel_raven
Summary: For the RT Writing Community Secret Santa! I combined Soulmates + Pranking the LSPD and created this, somehow.If you asked him, Alfredo Diaz would say he was perfectly content with his life. His best friends would say otherwise, though he would just ignore them. Having two soulmarks, and knowing how stupidly rare that is, he's fairly certain he's just the butt end of a cosmic joke. But, life has an odd way of working out and a curse is sometimes a blessing in disguise.
Relationships: Alfredo Diaz & Fiona Nova & Matt Bragg, Gavin Free/Alfredo Diaz, Jack Pattillo/Geoff Ramsey, Jeremy Dooley/Alfredo Diaz, Jeremy Dooley/Gavin Free, Jeremy Dooley/Gavin Free/Alfredo Diaz, Lindsay Tuggey Jones/Meg Turney, Lindsay Tuggey Jones/Michael Jones/Meg Turney
Comments: 18
Kudos: 128





	The Difference Between Living and Being Alive

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Waffle-o (XylB)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XylB/gifts).



> Happy holidays everyone!! This is for Wallfe-o (Xylb), who is an awesome friend, who is also one of the people who helped inspire me to even start wriitng in the RT/AH fandom, and I hope you enjoy the sheer madness I created. In my defense, I was given almost entirely free reign. I'm only a little sorry.  
> A special shout out to my other two friends, Bostonchungschwa and Liones for helping me by beta reading this, and then also Liones for helping me title it (as we all know I cannot title worth hell).  
> I basically went ham on this, to be honest. As always, all comments, kudos and bookmarks are deeply appreciated!! Let me know what you think, and if you think I missed anything in the tags.  
> All that being said, Waffle-o, I hope that you enjoy this and that the coming year is filled with good times, excellent friends and loved ones, and great opportunities! Thank you for everything!
> 
> -RR

“Wait, what do you mean,  _ fired!? _ ” Trevor demanded, almost spitting out his coffee.    
  
Alfredo stepped away from his friend, rubbing his temples as he fought off a headache.    
  
“I mean,  _ fired. _ Terminated. Nothing more. Finate.”   


Trevor paused, mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to think of something else to say before he put down his coffee mug and ran both hands through his thick black hair. The druid was usually fairly calm about most everything, but then, there were always surprises weren’t there?    
  
“Look, just,” he rolled his shoulders. “Explain it from the top. Cause, waltzing into my apartment, tossing your gear all over the place-”    
  
“I put it in the corner by your shoe rack-!” Alfredo protested.    
  
“And rooting through my fridge for Cokes and saying casually that you got fired is not a normal thing to wake up to!” Trevor continued as though he’d never spoken. “Jesus, man, it’s like, eight in the morning!”    
  
“You love me,” Alfredo simpered, batting his eyelashes at his friend.    
  
He danced away, laughing as Trevor half heartedly glared at him, hands raised like he were about to call upon some of the many many plants tucked around his apartment. Trevor really was the last person Alfredo had expected to be a druid, way back when he’d met the man five years ago. He had his finger on the pulse of technology, streamed regularly, and always had the latest and greatest bit of tech to play with on his very, very nice homemade computer. He’d originally put Trevor down as a technomancer, what with the way he managed to pull together the most precarious of rigs and get them to not only work, but work almost as good as a regular set up. Finding out he’d been a druid, and one based around healing at that, shouldn’t have surprised him all that much. His leg throbbed, very faintly and he stumbled over his feet, catching himself at the island bar. Trevor immediately stopped waggling his fingers threateningly, all traces of sleepiness gone from his face as he approached Alfredo, immediately helping him sit down on a bar stool.    
  
“You okay man?”    
  
“Yeah,” Alfredo hissed, rubbing at his leg, thumb pressing into his tensing thigh muscle. “Just my leg,”    
  
“Old pain? Or-?” Trevor left the question to hang and Alfredo resisted the instinctual urge to snap. Trevor was the only one who knew everything, and yelling at him would do no good.   
  
“No,” he sighed. “No, it’s not like last time. Just… Just phantom pain. Same damn spot every time. You’d think after four years and getting stabbed in worse places, it’d stop,” he joked.    
  
Trevor just kept giving him a worried look so Alfredo huffed and gave him a gentle smile, lifting a calloused hand to pat at the other man’s cheek.    
  
“Hey, I’m okay Fredo. You did a damn good job patching me up the last time, and if it ever comes to that, you’ll patch me up again.”    
  
“Well, last time I had medical supplies as well as my magic,” Trevor murmured, leaning his face into Alfredo’s hand for a moment before he pulled away. “And don’t think this is exonerating you from telling me what the fuck happened. Spill, bitch.”    
  
“God, how are you worse than Meg and Lindsay?” Alfredo grumbled, shifting his leg up so he was turned sideways on the barstool, leg stretched out over the other one. “Just, the director called a meeting and said that there were budget cuts,” he snarled the word like it had offended him, and it had to be fair. “And that they couldn’t keep the whole staff. So, there were going to be a handful of quiet firings, but that he would have kept all of us if he could.” he snorted.    
  
“Buncha bullshit if I’ve ever heard it,” Trevor agreed, handing Alfredo his Coke.    
  
“Right?! And then, the bastard had the gall to just, tell us to go back on shift! Memi was nearly in tears, and Terra was about five seconds from stabbing someone. We were all overworked, and they think keeping  _ more  _ people from-from working is gonna help the situation?!”    
  
Trevor just hummed, moving a safe distance from Alfredo’s wildly gesticulating hands. He knew how the other man got when he was upset and right now, he needed to let off steam. Trevor watched as Alfredo’s carefully maintained glamour began to waver, revealing slightly pointed ears and an unnatural shine to his eyes, the rich brown sharpening to something inhumanly bronze-gold. His hair got longer, waving very gently in an unseen wind, and his nails became sharper, more talon like.    
  
“I was like, this is not helping the situation!!” Alfredo ranted. “Like, holy shit-!! There is nothing about this that’ll-that’ll help! And, they only sacked Tibi, the weregirl I told you about, Yvana, Henry, Chris, Connor, Cole, and me and if this isn’t workplace discrimination, I don’t know what is,” he paused to take an angry swig of his Diet Coke.    
  
“Weren’t you also like, skimming hospital supplies?” Trevor pointed out with a faintly amused grin.    
  
“Correct,” Alfredo said after a beat, pointing at him. “But, not the point. Right now. Point is, they fired me because they figured out I’m-I’m,” he gestured with his clawed hand. “A changeling,”    
  
“Wait, seriously?” he stood a little straighter as Alfredo gave a more dejected nod.    
  
“Yeah. Fuckface said it was because of the skimming supplies and whatever else, but I was the most efficient nurse on that floor, Treh. I don’t need as much sleep as everyone else, so I could stay alert longer.” he paused, anger leaking out of him slowly. “That, and…” he bit his lip. “I think they figured out that I’ve got two,”    
  
Trevor sucked in a sharp breath and moved over to the other man, putting a hand on his back.    
  
“Oh, god Fredo, I’m...I’m so sorry,”    
  
“Don’t be,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “Curse of having two soulmates, am I right? Suddenly, everyone’s superstitious and ooohhh, you’re bad luck, you’re no good-! Add in that I’m a fucking  _ changeling  _ and suddenly it’s worse.”    
  
“Because y’all don’t have soulmates outside of fae,” Trevor finished quietly.    
  
Alfredo gave a small, dejected nod. “Yeah. That. And the non-fae markers mean that oh, hey, you’re a fucking bad luck charm! Away with you, oh foul beast! I swear the man was reaching for iron when I left. Racist.”    
  
“That shit barely works on you though. Unless you get like, stabbed,”   
  
“Yeah, well, tell that to people who listen more to old tales than, oh I don’t know, the whole fucking changeling community.” he snorted. “Not that anyone would even speak up. Most of them wander around or fucked off the the Glades to choose a court.”    
  
“That rule was loosened?” Trevor felt his eyebrows climb.    
  
He wasn’t a Fae, really Alfredo was the only Fae-creature he knew personally, but there was always talk of the Courts. Summer and Winter, Seelie and Unseelie. How people perceived them, how aloof and cold the Fae were, how they could never lie but they’d take your words and twist them. Changelings were seen as the worst, simply because they were dropped in a human family, the Fae stealing away the original child and leaving the humans to raise the baby like their own. Trevor rubbed Alfredo’s back, careful not to linger too long -- he knew Alfredo liked to be touched on his own terms, even when being given comfort.    
  
“Yeah,” Alfredo was mumbling into his can. “They decided that changelings deserved a chance. New Summer Queen is nice enough, I guess, and the Winter King is fucking creepy as hell,”    
  
“So you two must get along great, huh?”    
  
That got a wry snort and a gentle shove from Alfredo, but Trevor would take it. He watched Alfredo finish the first can and slid him a second.   
  
“Yeah, I guess. He’s alright. But,” he shrugged. “Don’t vibe well with either court. And that’s not to say the Fae are accepting. Oh gods forbid they’re seen fraternizing with a changeling.”    
  
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Fae were tied up tight in rules, regulations, laws that ranckled at him and there were endless rules of engagement. He understood being polite, and firmly believed that everyone deserved some modicum of respect and kindness -- though not all, he did have lines that he drew. Alfredo let out a soft noise when he realized he’d been squeezing the can so hard he punctured it with his talons.    
  
“Uhh, Trevor,” he managed and Trevor yelped, moving away from him to the counter. “It’s okay man, I can just open my fist over the sink, that’d probably be okay,”    
  
“Yeah, yeah, just,” Trevor paused his frantic motions to help Alfredo, holding paper towels in one hand. “Fuck dude, there’s blood and it might explode,”    
  
Alfredo just sighed and leaned as far from the sink as he physically could as he willed himself to release the can, his muscles twitching in his lingering upset. Slowly, his hand relaxed and he closed his eyes as sugary drink spewed up at him, sinking into his shirt and along his arm and into his face. He waited until the pressure fully faded to slump, resting on one arm against the sink as he watched Coke swirl down the drain with drips of dark, dark red blood.    
  
“Fredo?” Trevor came up to his side. “You good?”    
  
“Yeah,” he mumbled, letting the can drop and turned on the water, wincing as he looked at the damage.    
  
His hand was a little torn up, but there wasn’t anything that needed stitches. They were all just surface level, but they stung as the water washed over the long, thin slices. He nearly flinched when Trevor’s hand cupped his under the steady stream, protests dying as a soft green light washed over his hand and in seconds, the sting was gone and the cuts were healed, like they’d never been there in the first place.    
  
“Thanks,” he mumbled, looking down.    
  
Trevor gave him a gentle hip check, resting his head against Alfredo’s shoulder. “No prob, man. You wanna take a shower? Or wash your face a little? I got some of your clothes from last time you stayed over.”   
  
“I was wondering where those got off to,” Alfredo said with a wry smile.    
  
“Hey,  _ I  _ was being a good host and a good friend,” Trevor sniffed with faux irritation. “You left your shit here and I washed it.”    
  
Alfredo smiled a little and shook his head.

"Have I said recently how much I appreciate you? Even if you do steal my shit,"   


"You love me," Trevor tossed back, snickering. "Just. Go and get cleaned up. And for the love of god get a nap in. You look like you're about to fall over."   


Alfredo huffed but nodded, flexing his hand, watching the glamour return. He bumped Trevor's shoulder with his own before he went down the hall towards the younger man's bathroom. He turned on the water and grabbed a washcloth from the small closet by the toilet, running it under the stream and washed his face and arm. He shut the water off with one hand and plucked at his shirt with the other, frowning. It was a plain black shirt, the Coke wouldn't even show up. But, he could also feel the sticky sweet drink settling into his skin and sighed and ripped the shirt off, tossing it over his head.   


He scowled at his reflection, feeling a pulse of  _ something _ deep in his gut as he stared at the arch of golden-yellow around his shoulders, the large, silver-white antlers with purple and orange flowers blooming around the bases arching from his hips. He brushed his fingertips over the tip of one point -- five on one, four on the other -- before reaching to his back to press into the large, elegant wings. In the back of his mind, he could hear his mom whispering how everyone else was just jealous that they didn't have two soulmates. He could feel the phantom weight of his father wiping away his tears as he came home crying once more for having had the shit beaten out of him because he was the freak with two soulmarks and not one of his own.   


He shut his eyes tight and let out a soft noise, wrapping his arms around himself. The way the director had looked down on him, like he were lesser, like he was seconds from pulling out an iron ring -- Alfredo let out another soft noise and not for the first time, in the privacy of his own mind, he wished for the arms that these marks belonged to hold him. He knew he could go to Trevor for a hug, to Lindsay or Meg, but it was different, apparently, being hugged by your soulmate. There was no greater feeling, according to those that got along with their soulmates.   


Alfredo dropped his arms and picked up the cloth, rubbing dispassionately at the soda that was sticking to his chest. That was just the way of it though; you never knew if your soulmate and you would get along. His parents hadn't been soulmates, and some said that because of that, they'd been left with him, a changeling that had no mark himself. His parents had raised him well, made sure he always knew he was loved and that was fine with him. He'd known since he was four he wasn't human. He'd told himself, over and over and over again, that finding his soulmates was worthless. That finding them wouldn't happen -- after all, with so many billions of people on the planet, there was no guarantee they'd be the same age, or even be on the same continent.   


Changelings and Fae were among the only magic users who weren't guaranteed to have soulmarks and no matter how open most people were, how loose a lot more were, the lack of a soulmark was usually met with scorn, disgust, and even fear. Most Changelings stuck to each other, soulmark or no soulmark, or if they were lucky, they'd find someone who didn't mind. Alfredo had given up hope of such a thing after having his heart broken too many times to count.

It didn't stop him from wishing, some days, for that special connection. Alfredo pressed a wet hand against his hip and swiped up, watching as a dark tan wiped over the first antler, like mud. He bit his lip and brushed over it again, fully covering the mark. He repeated the gesture with his left hip and then pressed his hands on his shoulders, arms crossed over his chest and let the magic trickle down until he couldn't see them any longer. He blinked and the unnatural glow of his eyes faded with each blink until he was staring at dark brown. He rolled his shoulders and shook his head, and looking in the mirror one last time, he looked human.   


"Good enough," he mumbled as his eyes flickered back their to natural bright, eerie glowing bronze-gold, tossing the washcloth and his shirt in the hamper in the corner.   


"Fredo?" Trevor called, knocking on the door.

"Yeah,"   


"Can I come in? Or do you want me to leave these outside?"   


"...I'll come out,"   


He pushed the door open and rubbed at an eye with his palm. Trevor made an appreciative noise, eyeing him up and down and Alfredo raised an eyebrow, lowering his hand.

"...What?"

"Dude, not to blatantly come onto you, but how do you get hotter every time I see you?"   


Alfredo looked down at himself. Worn jeans, scrub shoes, pudge over his muscle, pointed hips. He rolled his eyes and plucked the shirt from Trevor's hands.   


"Thanks. And if you wanted a piece, you could ask,"   


That pulled a giggle from Trevor and he shook his head.   


"Nah man, we broke up for a reason. Though the sex was amazing,"

"Just didn't work," Alfredo finished, pulling the shirt over his head. "Sides, we dated for like, six months. Four years ago."   


"Hey, can't blame a man for appreciating his friend's body. You're an attractive guy, Diaz."   


Alfredo huffed a soft laugh and slung an arm around Trevor’s waist, hand splayed over the spot where the other man’s soulmark was -- a beautiful sunflower, tinted with gold and pink. He’d memorized it, traced it for hours when he needed to wind down, Alredo’s fingers in his hair, nothing needing to be said. That had been before they’d had their brief fling before cutting it off with a mutual agreement that while the sex was fantastic, there wasn’t the pull that they wanted. They still cuddled, his hand tracing the mark, Trevor's hands in his hair. Trevor nuzzled into the hollow of his throat, turning so he could hold Alfredo better. He sighed, sinking into the other man’s embrace. It was easy, calming.    
  
“You gonna be okay?” Trevor mumbled, voice buzzing against his skin.    
  
Alfredo just gave a shallow nod, swallowing reflexively.    
  
“You’re a really bad liar man,”    
  
“I...Think I will be. Still got the Sauce get up and what not, and there’s always someone that needs someone else dead.”    
  
“You are good at killing shit,” Trevor nodded, nose bumping his throat.    
  
“Gee, thanks,”    
  
“Oh, don’t get like that. You know what it does to people when they hear the big bad Sauce. For all your a softie underneath all that,”    
  
Alfredo gave a playful growl and pulled away, dipping his head so his nose brushed Trevor’s, unnaturally bright bronze-gold eyes boring into his rich, earthy brown. Their breath was mixing between them, just a hair too fast to be normal, eyes flicking to the others lips, driven by something old that would always likely be there, just in the curl of their spines. Trevor was the one to lean forward, brushing his lips against Alfredo’s, slow but not tentative or testing. Alfredo made a soft noise but the kiss didn’t escalate and Trevor pressed a kiss to his cheek.    
  
“You’re a good man, Alfredo,” he whispered against his cheek. “You’re a damn good man. Handsome either way and kind to the core,”    
  
Alfredo shut his eyes, biting back a whimper and pulled Trevor closer, feeling the other man’s slender fingers trace a methodical pattern up his back. New patterns over the elegant wings already there and something in him relaxed.    
  
“Now you good?” Trevor asked as Alfredo pulled away, rubbing at his face.    
  
“Yeah,” he croaked, feeling the glamor smear like mud across his skin. “Mind if I crash out here? Or should I go to Meg and Lindsays?”    
  
“Nah man, they’ll wanna know what’s happened and then go and kill that speciesist, corrupt piece of shit,” Trevor squeezed his arm gently then let him go. “You can go crash out in my bedroom. I need to get to work.”    
  
Alfredo just gave a muzzy little nod, rubbing at his face and rolled his shoulders, finally letting the glamour fade. He was too stressed and tired to properly maintain it at any rate. He let Trevor pull him into the bedroom and gently tuck him into bed; it smelled like spices, rose body wash and old spice. The familiar smell rocked him to sleep almost immediately. He didn’t hear Trevor leave.    
  
When he woke up, several hours later, the sun was lower in the sky and slanting through the curtains that had been drawn up tight. Alfredo grumbled but sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he yawned. He took a quick stock of the room, eyes jumping from the chest of drawers that were slightly open from Trevor rummaging through them earlier, to the shoes that were peeking underneath it. There was the bookshelf that was stuffed with books, graphic novels and comic books, and then his laptop rested on the bottom shelf. Alfredo forced himself to sit up, groaning as he did so, wrapping his arms around his knees.    
  
“God, what a mess today is,”    
  
Alfredo stayed there for a bit longer before he pushed himself to get out of bed and remade it. His steps were slow and careful as he shuffled down the hall to the living room, feeling the warmth of the apartment lull him into a state of not quite awake and not quite asleep. He stood in the middle of Trevor’s living room and just let himself be.    
  
For all of two minutes before his phone went off and he grunted, pulling it out of his pocket and answering.    
  
“Diaz,”   
  


_ “Hey buddy, how’s it going?”  _ Lindsay said, gentle but chipper.    
  
“I’m gonna guess Treh told you,”    
  
_ “That would be a yes-!”  _ Meg called, probably from Lindsay’s shoulder.   


Alfredo pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a heavy sigh. “And-?”    
  
_ “Well, we were going to ask how long was appropriate until we killed your old boss, but now I think you need to come over and chill. Where are you right now?”  _ Lindsay asked, more worried than he remembered them ever being in recent memory.    
  
“Fredo’s apartment. I...Yeah, I can be over there in a little bit.”    
  
_ “Good! I’m running out to get Coke, and then we’re making dinner.”  _ Meg said before there was the sound of a kiss and a muffled giggle and then it was just him and Lindsay.    
  
_ “Are you really doing okay, Fredo?”   
_

“...I will be,” he mumbled. “Just gonna be a pain until I pick up some more contracts, you know how it is.”    
  
Lindsay just made a non-commital noise and Alfredo gave a soft hum. He knew Lindsay and Meg were involved in a crew, one of the high ranking ones given the sheer layout of their apartment and how odd their own hours were. He was oblivious, not dumb. He also knew it wasn’t any of his business and that if they wanted him to know, they’d tell him.   


_ “Well, get over here, okay? We’ve got some Heave Ho we can play, if you wanna,”  _ _   
_ _   
_ “Just no Mario Kart,” he said after a moment of silence.    
  
_ “Deal. I wasn’t even thinking about it.”   
_

“You liar,” he smiled. “I’ll be there soon.”   


_ “Okay, bye~!”   
_

Alfredo stuffed the phone back in his pocket and chuckled, grabbing his things from the shoe rack and pulling his jacket on. He stuffed his feet into his old worn sneakers and he made a mental note to thank Trevor for taking his shoes off before putting him to bed. A part of him was grateful to never need to wear them again, but they were also incredibly comfortable. He had no doubt if he didn’t get rid of them, that Meg would do so herself. He hummed as he turned the lights off and called,    
  
“Thank you for letting me sleep, have a good day,” to the various plants in the apartment before he left.    
  
He locked the door with his spare key and took the elevator down to the garage -- Trevor lived in a fairly nice part of town, not rich, but comfortable. The apartment had a working elevator, for one, and for another, the halls didn’t reek like the old buildings had, and the halls were carpeted and well lit, and cleaned daily. Before, when they were both living a door away in a run down building, Trevor screeched so loud Alfredo was half sure that there had been a murder and grabbed his gun, sprinting to see what was happening. It had been a cockroach. Alfredo shook his head, smiling a little at the warm, fond memory. God, that had been a hell of an introduction. He’d moved to the same building as Meg and Lindsay, barely twenty minutes from Trevor, and there was a sense of understanding that they would all crash at each others apartments whenever the need arose, no questions asked. Alfredo was always there to patch them up because they would sometimes stumble in with bullet grazes or twisted ankles. Black eyes, the occasional knife wound, bruises, and fractures that they’d agitated. They were all idiots, but he wasn’t one to turn someone away unless he had a very good reason. He hummed a little tune as he plucked his helmet off the back of his bike then paused, pulling a black calling card from where it’d been stuffed in his visor. A duck in a circle on one side and,

_ You’re cordially invited for a meet up in three days. We’ll be in contact - KP   
_

In shining golden script on the other side.    
  
Alfredo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, before shoving the card as far as he could into his pocket and put his backpack in his saddle bag before he started his bike.    
  
“Nope. Not dealing with that today,” he grunted, pulling his helmet on. “I am is not for sale. Fuck the Fakes, fuck crews,”    
  
He rolled up to the garage door and waited for a moment for the door to open just far enough for him to get out. Then, Alfredo was peeling into the street, going just shy of too fast but no one bothered with it. Why would they, when the whole city was so riddled with corruption it was like a misma hung over the streets themselves.   


‘ _ Not that I’m at all innocent, _ ’ he thought as he took a corner sharply. ‘ _ But I’m not going to get back into that shit. Sauce is when I need cash. Which… Yeah, okay. I kinda need that right now too. Fucking assholes, _ ’    
  
He giggled to himself as he threaded the needle, a soft “Whoooohoo!” pulled from him unwittingly as he rushed past an atrocious pink supercar.    
  
Alfredo slowed down as he came up to his apartment, turning into the garage and parking in his usual spot. He raised a brow at the beat Blista that rattled past him but he just shook his head and huffed. That poor car. Alfredo put his kickstand down and pulled his backpack, filled with everything from his locker from work, plus his last check, out of his saddlebag. He paused and leaned against his bike for a moment as the reality washed over him. He didn’t have a normal job anymore. All those years, the hard work he’d put in… It was gone. Everyone knew that all the hospitals and ER’s in Los Santos were interconnected, so if you were fired from one, chances were you’d not get a job at another. His shoulders stiffened before he forced himself to relax and rolled them out. He kept his helmet on even as he stormed through the garage and into the elevator. He jammed the button for the eighth floor and waited, semi-impatiently, for the box to carry him up.    
  
When the doors finally opened, Alfredo slunk out of the elevator and tried to pick his head up as he knocked on Lindsay and Meg’s door, and tried to look like he hadn't just lost one of the main points of stability in his life, but it was hard, even with a motorcycle helmet and visor on. The door swung before his fist could hit the wood a second time and suddenly he had an arm full of Lindsay and he sank into her hold immediately.    
  
“Hey, Fredo,” she mumbled, voice muffled by his helmet. “Come on big guy, lets get inside,”   


He let them half drag him inside, feet shuffling after them. He heard the faint  _ clkclakclkclakclkclkclak  _ of dog nails on the hardwood and smiled a bit as he looked down. Penny barked at his heels, demanding pets and to be picked up, the daschund washed out to dull grey-black from his visor. Alfredo pulled away from Lindsay once they were in the living room and sat down heavily on their stupidly comfortable couch. After a moment, he reached up and pulled off his helmet.    
  
“Hey,” he croaked.    
  
“Hey there, handsome,” Lindsay said with a soft smile. “You want some chocolate cupcakes?”    
  
“Yeah, that’d be nice,”    
  
Lindsay gave his shoulder a squeeze before they were off to the kitchen, talking all the while so he wasn’t sitting with his thoughts.    
  
“So, you remember that weird coincidental pain that kept cropping up in my legs and shit and we thought I was dying?”    
  
“ _ You  _ thought you were dying, but go on,” Alfredo leaned his head back.   


“Well,” Lindsay’s voice jumped in a hysterical little note, either happy or scared, he wasn’t sure yet, “Turns out, it was my soulmate? So, yeah. That’s a thing.”   
  
Alfredo felt his heart jump, thudding painfully against his chest and he physically gasped for air.    
  
“Holy shit, Alfredo, breathe-!”    
  
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” he managed, sitting up and then standing. “Your  _ soulmate?!”  _ it came out in a squeak.    
  
“Yeah,” Lindsay whispered, holding a plate of chocolate fudge cupcakes in one hand and a glass of water in the other. “He...He’s actually sweet, in his own way. Hot headed, kinda annoying, but he’s cute and I think we get along.”    
  
“...What about Meg?” he whispered.    
  
“Waitwaitwait, Alfredo, do you think-?” Lindsay started, their eyebrows making an impressive attempt to escape their forehead. “Do you think Meg and I are gonna split up because of some guy-??”    
  
He gave a hopeless little shrug. “S’happened before. Just, today has been a fucking emotional rollercoaster, okay?”    
  
“Oh, Fredo, I’m sorry. Fuck, I didn’t think, I’m so sorry. No, god no, I’m not leaving Meg and she’s not leaving me. We’re gonna see where it takes us, but we think there’s a real chance of three of us falling into something pretty great.” they gave him a happy little smile, something genuine and warm and the tension left Alfredo’s shoulders.    
  
“Fuck okay, thank god,” he sank back into the couch, putting his head in his hands. “I just… I’m sorry. It’s literally none of my business what y’all do with your love life, I just overthought,”    
  
“Cause soulmates are weird,” Lindsay murmured, the witch far more perceptive than most gave them credit for. “I know, dude. I literally never thought it’d happen in the first place.”    
  
They and Meg knew  _ something  _ was up with him, but he’d never given them more than being a changeling was hard with soulmate marks. He was fairly certain they suspected something or other about his soulmate being a Fae and the whole prejudice of most Fae’s against changelings. Alfredo just gave a shallow nod and reached out, taking a cupcake.    
  
“I am happy for you,” he said, giving them a tired smile. “Just, maybe next time don’t almost give me a heart attack, yeah?”   


They giggled and the odd melancholic tension drained from the room in an instant. Lindsay bumped his shoulder with theirs and plucked a cupcake of their own from the plate.    
  
“Deal,” they gently cheered his cupcake before taking a bite.    
  
Alfredo went to take a bite before a searing pain ricocheted down his spine and he gasped, going rigid. Over the ringing in his ears he could hear Lindsay’s frantic call of his name, hear the blood pounding in his veins, feel the sheer shock of pain clench around his throat. His spine felt like it were being tased and his back felt like it was being ripped to shreds. There was a sudden flash of clarity -- a green and black Zentorno, a Fagio with a leopard print and a flash of purple, too fast to see from what. There was a voice, hot hands at his cheeks, in his hair, on his chest, pressing and pressing and pressing--    
  
“FUCK!!” burst out of him like a retch and he jolted upwards, breathing hard.    
  
“Holy shit--!” Meg from his right, her calloused hands on his neck and shoulder, half propping him up as Lindsay flitted about in the kitchen. “Alfredo, can you hear me?”    
  
He gave a nod, chest heaving like he’d just run a marathon.    
  
“Can you speak or no?” Meg’s voice was like a lifeline, his eyes screwed shut as the currents still zipped through his body.    
  
He just shook his head and tried to match the steady inhale and exhale he could feel from Meg, her side pressed right up against his. Her hands were warm, but not like a firebrand and they weren’t on his chest, applying pressure. He let out a slightly less shaky breath and drooped, feeling weak and yet energized all at once.    
  
“I hate it when that happens,” he heard Lindsay mutter. “Jesus, it scared me.”    
  
“....Sorry,” he creaked.    
  
“Don’t speak if you’re gonna hurt,” Meg admonished. “Shush. You take care of us more times than I can count. Let us help you. I’ll call Trevor and set him on you, don’t think I won’t,”    
  
Alfredo huffed out a wheezy laugh and moved with Meg, standing slowly and then quickly sitting once more on the couch. He took the fizzing potion Lindsay thrust under his nose and swallowed it quickly, feeling the lingering pain from his wayward magic fizzle out. Both women stayed silent as he slowly pulled himself back together, their hands resting in his or on his shoulders, rubbing small circles to help ground him. Finally, when he could think without his skull threatening to break open, he opened an eye and cracked a small smile.    
  
“Well, that was fun.”    
  
“What set it off?” Meg asked, concern etched into her face.    
  
“I,” he licked his lips and leaned forward, taking the glass of water from the table and chugging half of it in one go. “I don’t know. One minute, I’m fine, the next, my heads full of, just… A car, a shitty little moped… And like, purple and heat, and then I was here again.”    
  
He didn’t miss the way Meg and Lindsay looked at each other.    
  
“Guys, it’s not whatever you’re trying to suggest it is,” he mumbled around the lip of his glass, taking a slower drink, stomach tying itself in knots.    
  
“Alfredo, I know we’ve been thinking for a while now that those attacks are related to your magic acting weird,” Meg started slowly, “But, what if it isn’t?”   


Alfredo stiffened under her hand, shoulders curling inward and head ducking.    
  
“I know you hate thinking about it, but, it could be them-!” Lindsay added, giving their girlfriend a look. “Seriously, you need to consider the possibility! Your magic acting out like that may not even be because of your magic! Maybe your soulmate’s nearby and is trying to get in contact with you-!”    
  
“They aren’t,” he said firmly.    
  
“Why wouldn’t they?!” Meg demanded. “You’re a good guy, and literally no one in this city is completely innocent baring like, children cause they’re children.”    
  
“They wouldn’t because they’ve likely already got each other, okay?!” He snapped and almost immediately regretted it. “I...Ignore that.”    
  
“Alfredo.” Meg’s voice was firm.    
  
“Meg.”   


“ _ Alfredo _ .”    
  
“Fine! I’ve got two, okay?! I’ve got two soulmarks!” he snapped, standing and pulling up the back of his shirt just enough to show off the golden-yellow wings and the right four point antler.   


“See?” he said, trembling, letting his shirt fall once more. “See what I mean now? I’ve got two, and fuck if I know what to do about any of this! Do you get how stupid rare it is to have two?! Do you get how fucking cursed my life has been everytime someone figured out I had two and not one of my own?” his voice dropped. “I’ve never once had a hope to find them and I don’t want to at this point.”   
  
“Alfredo, we,” Meg started before she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”   


“Just… Let’s just drop it. Please.”    
  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lindsay said firmly. “No, don’t give me that look. Seriously Alfredo, what the hell? Did you think that we were gonna stop being your friend because we found out that you’ve got two soulmates and no mark of your own?”    
  
“Literally everyone else in my life, aside from you two, Trevor and my parents have done that.” he snorted. “So, yeah. I have a fair amount of experience with that level of bullshit. The moment people find out, all rational thought flees and all they can think of is how cursed it is to not have one. Like they’d meet their soulmate in the first place, or like their soulmates would even be a good fit.” he scrubbed at his face but didn’t put his glamour back up. “I just… I’m tired, Linds, Meg. I have a fucking headache. I lost my job. Today has not been good for me.”    
  
Meg and Lindsay immediately wrapped him in a tight hug, practically crushing him between them. He hugged them back and closed his eyes. God, he was so thankful he was friends with them.    
  
“Did Lindsay tell you about their own soulmate?” Meg asked after a beat. “Cause I mean, if we can make it work, you can definitely make it work. And if you do happen to find your soulmates and they’re assholes, I’ll tear them apart myself. I have quite a few things that'll do the job nicely. Maybe leave a scorch mark."   
  
“I seriously hope you’re not leaving me out of that, babe,” Lindsay said with a shared dark smile. “There’s nothing in this universe that’ll keep us from tearing whoever hurt you apart to the atomic level. I swear to gods I’ll do it.”    
  
“...The hug is nicer,” Alfredo mumbled and Lindsay laughed, hugging him tighter.    
  
“I can do that too.”    
  
Meg let them go in favor of pulling Penny and Columbo up onto the couch with them, both animals pawing at Alfredo’s lap for more attention. He gave a watery chuckle and let go of his friends to give the pair in his lap some gentle scritches. When the trembling finally faded, Meg stayed pressed against his side while Lindsay went to grab take-out menus from their takeout drawer.    
  
“You think you wanna be alone tonight?” Meg murmured to him. “We don’t mind the company, you know that.”    
  
“Yeah,” he closed his eyes half way. “I’ll be just fine, Meg. But, thank you, for worrying. And same goes for Lindsay’s soulmate. If he’s a piece of shit, I got dibs on beating the shit out of him.”    
  
“We’ll trade off who holds him then,” they grinned before squeezing him in a hug. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”    
  
“Okay you two, pizza, thai, or chinese?”    
  
“Pizza,” Alfredo said immediately. “I don’t have the energy for utensils,”    
  
“Noted. Meg?”    
  
“Hell yes to pizza. I could eat my arm after earlier.”    
  
“And then regular drinks,” Lindsay finished, nodding. “Brb!”    
  
“What were you doing earlier?” Alfredo asked, eyebrow raised.    
  
Meg shifted around on the couch for a moment, the enchanter humming as she tapped at her stomach, the soft, rumpled fabric of her hoodie dulling the sound.    
  
“You know how we’re in a crew, right?”    
  
A slow nod and a soft grunt.    
  
“Well, I had to do some stuff for the boss. Just, took a lot of energy and left me starving, you know how it goes with physical magics,”    
  
Alfredo hummed and nodded. His own magic as a changeling was supposedly fairly varied, from glamour to simple illusions to even possible flight but that one he doubted. Changelings didn’t have nearly the range of abilities that Fae did, though theirs were more geared towards survival, so instead of being made entirely of magic, they were made to be able to adapt to magic. Alfredo fought the urge to rub at the back of his head; he knew Meg would pick up on the nervous tick and he just wanted the conversation to drop. But there was something to those flashes, he knew it. If he was accepting that the weird flashes of insight weren’t his magic acting up but instead a far more intense version of getting connected with his soulmates, then there was all the possibility of him having his own brand of magic. He was jolted from his thoughts when the remote landed in his lap and he looked up at Lindsay, who was standing over the back of the couch.    
  
“For scaring the shit out of us when you dropped unconscious, you get to pick the Netflix special we watch,”    
  
“Oh-kay,” he said with an amused little grin before flicking to the Ember TV and pulling up Netflix. “Uhh,” he scrolled through shows for a moment before stopping on an anime that was written in what looked like Korean.    
  
“Ooohh, Meg, you like this one right?” Lindsay said as they moved around the couch to settle next to their girlfriend. “Also, pizza’ll be here in fifteen.”    
  
“Oh, yeah, Fredo, pick it! You’ll love it. It’s got sub so you can keep up with it.”    
  
He shrugged and selected it and was immediately met with heavy metal blaring for the intro. He turned down the volume a bit and shook his head as Meg and Lindsay sang along with it -- they’d obviously watched it many times. The show itself was decent, and they made it through part of the first episode before the pizza guy rang their buzzer. Meg got up and took a bit of money from the pair of them.   
  
“Keep watching!” she said. “I’ve seen this like, three times,” before she left.   


So they did. And when Meg got back, Alfredo was invested in the plot. Between the three of them, they polished off the whole pizza, Alfredo packing away a large amount of it to no one’s surprise. It was almost eleven when they finished the first season and by then, all three of them were nodding off.    
  
“Okay, I should go,” Alfredo muttered, looking at Meg over Lindsay’s head.    
  
Meg gave him a sleepy little smile, her soft pink hair washed silver in the light from the anime credits, shadows softening her face further. Lindsay was tucked up against Meg’s side, both of their legs resting in Alfredo’s lap, his arm draped over their legs and along Lindsay’s side.    
  
“Call if you need anything,” Meg murmured and Alfredo nodded.    
  
Carefully, he extracted himself from the mess of limbs and stood, straightening out his clothes.    
  
“Good night you two,” he said softly as Meg nudged Lindsay up.    
  
“G’night,” Lindsay yawned, laying so they rested their head on Meg’s shoulder instead of her chest. “Sleep tight,”    
  
Alfredo just laughed and quietly picked his way around Penny and Columbo, who were sprawled at the foot of the couch, and then over to the door. He grabbed his sneakers, helmet, jacket and backpack and blinked as he entered the hallway, the bright light almost blinding after the dark lighting of the apartment. He hummed softly to himself as he pulled his sneakers back on and made his way down the hall to the elevator. It was a short ride down one floor and he stretched with a pleased sigh at the thought of curling up in his own bed. Alfredo unlocked his door and then relocked it behind him, then went about his nightly routine. Teeth brushed, face scrubbed and finger combing his hair and giving up trying to pull the thick black mess into any semblance of order. He changed into his most comfortable pajamas and moisturized his face and hands, humming to himself as he did so. With all work he’d done at the ER, he didn’t want his skin drying out.

‘ _ Especially with November reaching an end, _ ’ he thought with a soft frown. ‘ _ Fuck I still have to get Meg, Lindsay and Trevor their gifts. And Mom and Dad too. Shit. _ ’   


“Thoughts for tomorrow,” he grumbled, wiping the excess lotion on a towel before he stretched and walked to his bedroom, flopping face first on his stupidly comfortable bed.    
  
He’d very nearly fallen asleep an hour later when the sound of banging on his door woke him, along with what could have been yelling. He scrunched his eyes shut and dragged a pillow over his head, pressing it into his ears. If he didn’t hear it maybe it would just go away. A beat later and he pushed himself up with an angry grumble, stalking down the hall for his front door. He paused when he heard muffled grumbling and the distinct sound of scraping.    
  
“Motherfucker, who is trying to pick my door-?!” he snapped, unlocking the door and yanking it open, counting on the element of surprise to help him if it were a robber.    


Instead, he was met with an interesting sight. A young man with a mop of curly ginger hair and a beat up brown leather jacket turned inside out stared up at him from where he was partially crouched in front of his door. A lockpick set was in his hand, a pin in his door, the man’s eyes extremely wide before they flashed from surprise to anger. He lunged forwards and Alfredo reached out, grabbing him around the wrists, shifting his weight backwards, fully prepared to change his grip and flip the man over when he spotted something else.    
  
“You’re bleeding,” he pointed out, feeling exasperation rise in him. “Come on,” he let go of the man, turning on the light for the front room.   
  
The man paused, rocking back and forth in the doorway like he was in shock. Alfredo turned back around and gave him a look, pinching the bridge of his nose.    
  
“Look, I’ve had a hell of a day, okay? So, either you can stand there and bleed however knows how much more on my hardwood floor and prolly faint, or you can let me check you out. I’m an ER nurse.”    
  
The man shook himself bodily as though he were shaking out of a stupor and seemed to weigh the options. Alfredo let out an impatient noise.    
  
“Look, it’s fucking one in the morning. I’m not a cop. I don’t know any cops, I don’t give a shit what you were doing but you’re bleeding all over my floor so either you let me help you or you fuck off and faint in the middle of the hall and cause Mrs. and Mrs. Yu to have twin heart attacks. Now as I’d rather not have dead neighbors to add to this mess,” he gestured to his kitchen. “Get in, or fuck off.”    
  
That pulled a soft snort from the ginger and he hobbled inside. “Try anything and I’ll shoot you,” he said, Jersey accent thick.   


“Whatever you say, Jersey,” Alfredo grunted, pulling out a chair and then going to his first aid cabinet. “What happened? Again, just tell me what happened and what you were hit with.” he washed his hands with hot water and soap and dried them on a clean towel he kept in the cabinet, then paused and added, “Do you have any allergies to latex or medications such as Advil, Aleve, or neosporin?”    
  
“What-? No,”    
  
“Good,” he pulled on a pair of gloves. “Sit your ass down there and try not to bleed everywhere. Now, what happened?”    
  
There was a moment where Alfredo wasn’t sure the other man would answer him before the ginger said,    
  
“I got in a fight. Downed a guy, turns out he wasn’t as down as I thought. Fucker smashed a bottle against my leg.”    
  
There was more to that, but Alfredo couldn’t bring himself to care. “Where did he hit? Can you put pressure on your leg without pain or is there a pain level, aside from the bleeding, smart ass.”    
  
The ginger shut his mouth with a click and then grumbled, “No, no pain aside from the bleeding.”    
  
“How long were you on that leg?” Alfredo asked as he pulled down his large medical kit and made his way over to the table.    
  
He set the massive box down and opened it with a flick. Inside in neat, labelled rows were all his medical supplies; everything from bandages to butterfly stitches and actual stitching material. He pulled out gauze, antibacterial wipes, his antiseptic spray, numbing cream, and scissors in case he had to cut.    
  
“Jesus, waiting for the apocalypse?”

“Nothing worse than being underprepared. Now, how long were you walking on that leg?” he crouched down and started to examine the man's leg, unfalteringly gentle. The ginger watched him with wide eyes before he swallowed loudly and said,    
  
“Uuhh, bout, I don’t know, fifteen minutes?”    
  
Alfredo nodded and eyed the hasty bandana that had been wrapped around the man’s calf in an attempt to staunch the blood flow, jean leg scrunched up around the top of it. “Well, good news. It doesn’t look like your bandana bled through all the way, so you may not need stitches. I’m going to untie it and then clean and dress it. I’ll need to check that no glass remains,”    
  
The ginger nodded and turned away, biting down on his sleeve. Alfredo hummed as he worked, quick and efficient, but gentle. There was a lot of blood and drama, soaking the poor man’s leg, but it wasn’t too deep. A thorough search revealed no glass left in the wound and he gave the man a faint smile.    
  
“It’s your lucky night. No glass. Just a lot of blood and drama. You won’t even scar, sorry if you wanted some badass story for your fir-friends,” He stood and grabbed the wipes, the spray and gauze, and then a roll of bandages. “This’ll sting,”    
  
Before Alfredo held the man’s foot between his knees and wiped down his leg with brisk strokes until the blood was gone and fresh blood welled up. A few quick sprays of the antiseptic spray and then the gauze. Alfredo glanced up at the man, who was watching him with narrowed, dark brown eyes. He gave a small grin before returning to his work.    
  
“Thanks for not wriggling during all that,” he started before the ginger snapped,   


"Why are you helping me!?"

Alfredo paused and looked up at the shorter man, his dark brown eyes filled with mistrust but also curiosity. He sighed and returned to wrapping the man's leg and didn’t mention when the ginger twitched, simply waited before reaching out once more.   


"Because it's the right thing to do. Because there's enough cruelty out there already. Because you deserve kindness and respect."

"Dude. This is Los Santos. No one helps strangers. I could have killed you." the ginger’s tone was filled with flat disbelief.

"So could of the mugger from last week. And on that note, a de-duck could too. A child could kill me, or I could choke. Doesn’t make it any different. Now sit fucking still or I’m going to have to start over.”   


The man went quiet and stopped struggling. He sat there until Alfredo shuffled away and started to clean up his mess.    
  
“Your jeans are salvageable,” he said. “I’m Alfredo by the way.”    
  
He wasn’t sure why he said that. He blamed the exhaustion.    
  
“...Michael.”    
  
“Nice to meet you. Now, come on,” He heaved Michael to his feet and helped him over to his couch. “Sit on the arm for a moment,”   


Alfredo left Michael there for a moment as he grabbed the black towels from the second shelf in his first aid cabinet. He returned to the couch and laid the towels out, covering the space where Michael would sleep. Then, Alfredo went to his room and grabbed a pillow from his bed and a blanket from the closet, and when he came back, Michael was already stretching out, careful of his now clean and bound up leg. Alfredo covered him with a blanket and handed him the pillow.    
  
“Painkillers?” he asked.    
  
“Yeah,” Michael sighed after a moment, like all the anger had rushed out of him.   


He didn’t look like he trusted Alfredo, and that was just fine with him. He didn’t expect to see the other man ever again to be honest. Alfredo hummed as he grabbed some Aleve from the kit and then a tall glass of juice for Michael.    
  
“Drink this first, it’ll help you feel less lightheaded later,” Alfredo said, handing him the cup. “It’s orange juice. I have Coke if you can’t have juice--”    
  
He stopped as Michael chugged the juice like a man near dying of thirst and silently took the cup back to refill it with water. He gave Michael three pills and the water to wash them down. Then, he left Michael to sleep and left his door ajar in case he was needed. He slept through the night, almost to noon, but his guest was gone. Alfredo shrugged and noted that the blood had also been cleaned up -- a few spots still remained but it was the effort that counted. Alfredo went to his fridge and paused, staring at it. Held in place with a kitty paw print magnet was a post it with,   


_ Sorry I tried to break into your apartment. I cleaned up. Sorry again. - Michael   
_

Alfredo shook his head and then he couldn’t help the laugh that gurgled out of his chest. Only Los Santos. He pulled out his phone and sent a photo of the note to Lindsay, only to receive a photo in return less than a minute later of a familiar ginger and Meg at the breakfast table, Michael looking exhausted but smiling at something Lindsay was saying.  
  
**Lindsay:**

_ Looks like you met him!! We were planning something less unorthodox but guess that worked. Thanks for taking care of the idiot. _

He laughed, long and hard, bent nearly double before he managed to get himself under control. When Alfredo felt he could breathe, he sent back,  
  
**Me:**

_ Only in LS.   
_

Before he stuffed his phone in his pocket and went to check his work phone. The Sauce was a fairly hot commodity, for however erratic his jobs, but Alfredo was damn good at it and people always liked a little mystery. He had a few messages from the Bellas, something about an assassination or another, but he paid it no mind and deleted them. He didn’t work with them after the last time they tried to shortchange him -- they’d learned not to, granted, after he killed the messenger to leave a bigger, bloodier message, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try to get smart. He almost snorted. The day the Bellas or Lost M.C. got smart was the day he found his soulmate’s and he immediately shoved that thought away. The phone vibrated in his hand, drawing Alfredo’s attention back to it and for a second, his heart stopped.   


**Unknown:**

_ Sauce- We haven’t heard a definitive answer from you yet, but if you’re interested, we have a high paying heist we want to include you in. Should you be interested, meet us at the abandoned warehouse unit C-36 in two days. We’ll make it clear just in case. Cheers - Golden Boy   
_

Alfredo stared at the text for a long time, barely moving. A thousand situations rushed through his mind -- it was an ambush, it was a job, it could be both, it could be a hold up -- until he almost felt sick. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead into the fridge door, the cool metal soothing the slow throb behind his temples. Alfredo let out a few long breaths before tugging the door open and snagging a Coke, popping the tab with one hand.    
  
“God, what am I doing?” he mumbled to the soda before he looked back down at the phone.    
  
**Me:**   
_ You’ve got a deal. If this is a set up though, I will kill you.   
_

**Unknown:** **  
** _ Don’t worry, it’s just a friendly little meeting.  _ _   
_ _   
_ Alfredo just stared at the phone for a moment before he shook his head and plugged it back in to charge.    
  
“Nope,” he turned around and grabbed his soda off the counter. “Nope, nope, nope. Not dealing with that bullshit right now. Fuck that. I’m going to drown myself in diet soda and maybe play video games and that  _ is it _ ,”   


He pulled together a solution to clean up the last bit of blood and scrubbed until the hot water went cool and sat back with a satisfied smile, pulling on his arthritis gloves. No more blood, and it hadn’t set nearly as much as he’d first thought, which was always a boon. He poured the dirty water down the sink and then cleaned his hands thoroughly with scalding water, though in truth he barely felt it. Finished, Alfredo sat down on his couch and picked up his controller, logging into his Xbox to start up some Halo from last week. It wasn’t his favorite game, but it was a nice thing to relax to, especially when he could just go wild.   


He staunchly ignored his work phone and only answered his phone when Trevor, Meg, or Lindsay messaged him. He wound up agreeing to get dinner in three days with Lindsay, Meg and Michael to actually meet the man in a formal capacity, not when he was attempting to break into his apartment for some unknown reason. Alfredo reserved most of his judgement on the man, though he had cleaned up most of the blood and folded up the blanket, towels and pillow Alfredo had given him to sleep on. So, he might not be terrible but the rest remained to be seen. He showered after a few hours of playing Minecraft, feeling the sudden need to just be clean. He picked up his apartment and made himself dinner, and fell into bed, completely and utterly exhausted for seemingly no reason. Every muscle ached and burned, and a steady pounding built up behind his temples. He whined, feeling the burn of  _ something  _ twist in his gut, just like in Trevor’s bathroom. It was hours before he finally slept, sheet twisted around his legs. 

_-_-_-_-_   


The next day came too soon, and before he could talk himself out of it, Alfredo was riding his bike towards the warehouse, glamour firmly in place. He was running on next to no sleep and more caffeine in his system than a late night shift on Christmas. He hadn’t been able to find his mask in time and while normally he’d have taken the time to find it, he knew it would be incredibly stupid to blow off the Golden Boy, and probably Ramsey himself. Geoff Ramsey, and his second, Jack Patillio, were two people that didn’t take being told _No_ lightly. It made his stomach tie itself in knots, and for all he was supposed to be a stone cold killer, there were some things he didn’t want to push.   
  
‘ _What happened to fuck the Fakes?_ ’ he asked himself as he slowed down. ‘ _I don’t want anything to do with that. I’ve always held that belief._ _I’m going to fucking die doing this shit.’  
_

“Sauce!!” came a cheerful voice and it took everything Alfredo had not to jolt in his seat.    
  
A woman with rich, dark red hair falling in lazy curls, one hand cupped to her mouth, the other waving in the air. She wore a pastel pink shirt and a dark grey blazer that accentuated her curves and obvious pudge; though something told him she would be able to make his life hell. Her pants and shoes were either a very dark blue or black, Alfredo couldn’t tell from the distance, but he did stop his slow crawl, bike still idling and waited for the woman to approach. She stopped four feet away, giving Alfredo an appraising look.    
  
“Somehow I was expecting skulls,” she said brightly and Alfredo very nearly laughed. “Anyways, I’m Sarah. Nice to meet you. If you’ll follow me, off the bike of course, I can show you where Geoff and Jack are waiting for you.”    
  
Alfredo paused then nodded and turned the bike off. He got off and started to push it, walking a pace behind Sarah, ears pricked and on alert. Sarah didn’t say another word and Alfredo wasn’t sure if that was a tactic to put him on edge, try and help him relax, or if the woman were simply afraid to speak to him without a reason. It still set his teeth on edge and it took everything he had not to just swing his leg back over the bike and race away. There were more contracts. There were always more people, more warring gangs.   


‘ _ But none of them pay as well as the Fakes, _ ’ came that traitorous little voice. ‘ _ None of them will be as exciting or challenging. _ ’   


“Here we are,” Sarah was saying, jolting Alfredo out of his thoughts and he blinked, grateful for the helmet. “Do you mind removing the helmet? I can promise you, we’ve seen all kinds so there’s no need to be shy.”    
  
Alfredo grunted and put the kickstand for his bike down. “Anyone touches her, they’ll lose their damn hand,” he growled.    
  
Sarah immediately lifted her hands and nodded, eyes a little wide. “Crystal clear, Sauce.”    
  
He nodded once and pulled his helmet off, not missing Sarah’s shock at seeing his face; clearly she hadn’t been expecting him to look normal. He gave the shorter woman a smirk and turned to face the warehouse were an obnoxious golden dick was spray painted over the door.    
  
“You’ll have to forgive the Golden Boy. He and Rimmy Tim can be a bit… Much.” Sarah said, clearly trying to tamper down some odd mixture of amusement and disappointment in her voice.    
  
Alfredo just shrugged and went to the door and pulled it open. Inside, it was shockingly well lit, though completely barren aside from a table and two people, a man and a woman. The man was tall and looked lean, wearing a rumbled suit, hands stuck in his pockets as he slouched, sitting on the table itself. The woman stood, looking relaxed as could be in a leather V-cut vest and dark tan pants, fingerless gloves on her hands as she toyed with a knife, movements gracefully lazy. He could see the shift of her muscles and the image of Pattillo easily handling a minigun flashed to the forefront of his mind--she was all functional muscle and sharp instincts with a deadly aim. Alfredo took a deep breath and forced himself to move forward, footsteps sure and calm until he was just two feet away from both of them. Then he crossed his arms and waited.    
  
Ramsey spoke first, pulling his hands out of his pockets and standing upright in such a sudden move Alfredo nearly moved backward.    
  
“So,” he said, chipper but serious, sharp blue-grey eyes watching him as he smiled. “We heard you were good at killing. Want to join us?”    
  
Alfredo couldn’t help the way his mouth dropped a little and his thoughts scattered as though they’d been struck by a cue ball. Pattillo rolled her eyes and smacked Ramsey on the shoulder.    
  
“Geoff,” she admonished. “Give the man more details. I’m sorry about him,” she said, turning to Alfredo. “He’s skipped ahead because he’s an impatient bastard. We’ve been watching your work for the last three years, Sauce. We’re very interested in your skill set, though you’re a very hard man to track down.”    
  
Alfredo closed his mouth and shrugged a little. “I like it that way. I was told there was a job?”    
  
Geoff sighed and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling like that had all the answers before he finally looked back at Alfredo.    
  
“Look. We’ve got a few heists lined up for the holiday season, and December just started today, so our countdown clock is starting off. We’ve got a major heist planned and having someone like you on the team could be a major boon. After the job, we’ll talk about a more long term deal. Think of this heist as a trial run.”    
  
Alfredo paused, mulling it over. Trevor was always telling him he had to reach out to other people, that he should go out and meet someone. Before, he’d always shrugged it off, between work and taking up contracts as the Sauce, he’d had next to no energy to deal with new people. But, here was two birds with one stone; a new possible job venture and he would meet new people. A win-win, really.    
  
“A few conditions,” he finally said and watched Ramsey and Pattillo perk up. “I don’t kill civilians and if you ever give me a mark I want full research on them. No half assed bullshit. I also retain the right to fully walk away at any time, no questions asked and with all my cut in tact. And I don’t appreciate tails,” he looked up to the rusted catwalks. “Or an audience.”    
  
Ramsey and Pattillo went stiff, then Ramsey snapped his fingers and two figures slunk from the catwalk. One was a woman, the other a man; the woman had short, curling black hair and rich brown skin, her smile vicious as she got closer. She was lean, and wore heels, tight jeans and a crop top with a fur lined leather jacket. She moved with confidence and handled the sniper rifle in her hands with care. The man on the other hand was half slumped over, long brown hair dusty. He was pale, like he didn’t go out in the sun much, and pushed his black rimmed glasses up his nose with one hand. His pace was slower, calmer, but Alfredo could see the shape of the gun in his baggy red hoodie and the knife in his jeans pocket.    
  
“Hey there Saucey-boy,” the younger woman chirped, grinning at his stunned expression. “Yeah, you’re not so scary. Nice catch though. I’m Nova.”    
  
“Nice to meet you.” he said slowly.    
  
Nova just gave him another vicious grin and rolled her shoulder. “Jack, since we’re done here, can Axial and I go?”    
  
Pattillo’s eyes flickered to Alfredo, then Nova and Axial, and it hit Alfredo then that she was calculating how long it may take him to reach the pair. She was protective. He shifted his weight backwards and forced himself to visibly relax.    
  
“I’m not about to start something if you aren’t,” he rumbled and Nova just laughed.    
  
“Oh, that’s cute. Anyways, we’re done right?”    
  
Pattillo nodded and looked more relaxed, smiling a little more warmly at Alfredo. “Yeah, I think we are.”    
  
Nova gave Axial a look and he just gave a little nod before the pair of them were leaving out a side door. Ramsey clapped his hands, bringing Alfredo’s attention back to him.    
  
“Right, so, we were thinking you come back with us to the Penthouse, get acquainted with who we have there, and then you come back tomorrow and we’ll go through the heist plans?”    
  
Alfredo gave a slow nod. “Directions?”    
  
“Eclipse towers,” Pattillo said. “We’ll wait for you so security lets you in.”    
  
He gave a slow nod and looked over his shoulder, where Sarah was waiting calmly.    
  
“Yeah, that’s fine.”   


Ramsey reached out and Alfredo crossed his arms.    
  
“I don’t like to touch people I don’t know. Nothing personal, Ramsey,”    
  
“Call me Geoff,” something like understanding softened his face and Alfredo nodded.    
  
“Geoff then. Nothing personal.”    
  
“Noted.”   


“Well, if we’re going by first names, you can call me Jack. Should we call you Sauce or Saucey?” her lips were pulled into a smile and Alfredo bit back an odd mixture of a groan and a laugh.    
  
“Sauce.”   
  
She looked a little put out that the joke didn’t go through but nodded. “Sauce it is then. Geoff, come on.”    
  
He nodded at Alfredo and followed Jack out the same door that Nova and Axial had gone out of. Alfredo waited until they were gone to turn back around to face Sarah and gave her a nod.    
  
“You have a ride?”    
  
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” her smile was warm but her eyes were calculating and that unsettled something deep in Alfredo.    
  
“Good.” before he moved around the other man and left.    
  
He jammed his helmet back on his head and started his bike back up, tearing away from the warehouse. He had no idea what he just got himself into, though he was torn between trepidation and an odd giddiness. The ride to Eclipse towers was shockingly short, and Geoff was waiting for him out on the curb, messing around on his phone. He looked up when Alfredo got closer and something in him shifted from causal to business. Alfredo could see it in the set of his shoulders and how he tilted his head just a little upward; for all the Kingpin cultivated the image of lackadaisy grace and rumpled disinterest, Alfredo knew he was interested in the Sauce. And just the Sauce. It curdled something in his stomach and he had to near physically restrain himself from shaking himself.    
  
“Hey there, buddy,” Geoff called once he was in earshot, voice raised to be heard over the idling engine. “Jack’s parking the car in the garage. You wanna leave her in there or out here on the streets?” he nodded to the bike.    
  
“Will I be able to get her back without a hassle?”    
  
“Most definitely,”    
  
“Then your garage.”    
  
Geoff stepped back on the curb and waved his hand, indicating Alfredo should follow him. For a moment, he was tempted to be a smart ass and take the man literally, but then he’d just met Geoff and some part of him wanted this to work out. He practically walked the bike past a line of cars parallel parked on the street and then followed Geoff down a short incline to a large metal door. He took a clicker from his pocket and pointed it up at a small black ball and seconds later, the door was rolling up with a groaning creak. Geoff waved him through and yelled,    
  
“Pick any free spot, dude! Jack’ll meet you in there!” before the door was closing behind him.    
  
Alfredo turned the bike off and just sat there, staring at the sheer number of cars. There were muscle cars, super cars, in most every color. There was one with a hideous leopard print and what looked like pink interior, another that was a harsh chrome and more pink. There was at least one sensibly colored supercar, a rich navy blue, and Alfredo decided to push his bike towards the spot open to that car. As he went down the line, he spotted a little Fagio with a leopard print seat and felt his heart stop. A little down the line was a purple and orange car that looked horrifically similar to the one from his vision. Next to that one was another familiar car; a beat to hell purple Blista.    
  
“...Sauce?” Jack’s voice almost made him startle and he looked to the woman.    
  
She was looking at him, brows pinched together in what could have been concern or calculative worry. She didn’t try and touch him, which he appreciated, but her hands were half raised, hanging in the air between them like she would if she had to. There was a terrifying moment where he couldn’t breathe but then Alfredo forced himself to let out a long breath to cover a soft whine and a desperate need for a hug, damn his rule, and shook his head.    
  
“I’m fine. Just… Migraine. Haven’t slept well.”    
  
‘ _ Why am I telling her this?! _ ’ came the frantic thought.   


“Yeah, I get that,” her shoulders loosened a bit and she stepped aside. “You can go ahead and park next to me. I’ll bring you down when we’re finished. I think we have some unopened advil if you want some when we hit the penthouse. If the Lads are back, well,” she shrugged, in a “What can be done” manner. “It gets loud,”    
  
He just sighed and pushed his bike to Jack’s car and put his kickstand down. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled his helmet off and resisted the urge to check his eyes or glamour.    
  
“...I’ve got a pocket mirror,” Jack called softly, this time making him jump a little. “Sorry, shit, uhh.. Yeah. I mean, if you wanna fix your paint. It got a little smeared,” she pointed to her cheek. “No real skin, but it’s a little blurry.”    
  
“It’s fine,” he said shortly, just keeping himself from reaching up and rubbing at his glamor.   
  
Jack looked like she didn’t believe him and for a startling moment he was reminded of Trevor.   
  
“Right, well, thought I’d prepare you. I’ll try and corral them into something less noisy if they are there, but no promises. Just, don’t stab anyone.”    
  
He gave a little nod, still feeling an odd tightness in his chest, like his lungs were trying to squeeze themselves in next to his heart. Somehow, he managed to keep his face neutral enough for Jack to turn around and walk with him to the elevator, unbothered by showing him her back. She must have read his mind as she said, stepping into the elevator,    
  
“I’m a very good witch, Sauce. There is very little that gets past me,” she gave him a little smile that made him falter before he kept walking.    
  
“Right,” he said slowly, like that explained everything.    
  
Jack gave an exasperated sigh and explained very simply, “I deal with Fae on a fairly regular basis, did you think I wouldn’t recognize one? Fae hate being touched, and you move completely differently from a human, experienced killer or no. There’s no iron in the penthouse as a general rule, so if that’s what you’re nervous about don’t worry. Contrary to us being wary, we do want this to work but you have to meet us halfway, alright?”   


Alfredo gave a slow nod. “Alright.”    
  
“Good,” there was a hard look in her dark brown eyes, making them hard and flinty, the warmth draining from them. “And I don’t think I have to tell you that if you fuck with my family I will personally end you in the most painful ways possible.”    
  
Alfredo shook his head once and tried to keep the odd tension in his chest from shifting to the rest of his body. He subtly flexed his left hand just to make sure he wasn’t dealing with a heart attack from the sheer stress of it all.

‘ _ Funny how I can take triple shifts and barely bat an eye and yet staring Jack Pattillo down, about to join the Fakes is what makes me feel like I’m going to die, _ ’ he thought.   


The doors opened before Jack could say anything more, revealing Geoff, who was stuffing his phone back into his pocket.    
  
“So, the Lads are back. They picked Michael up from his partner’s place,”    
  
Alfredo nearly twitched before he stamped down the urge. Michael was a common name, and many of them could be straight or bi or whatever else. That didn’t mean it was the Michael from his apartment last night. Didn’t mean that the Michael was the one that was Lindsay’s soulmate, was starting something slow and steady with Meg and Lindsay. He let out a long breath and shuffled until his back was pressed into the corner, eyes glued to the LED screen. He tuned out what Jack and Geoff were talking about, instead focusing on keeping himself calm.   


‘ _ That was the same Blista from two days ago-- Fuck it’s been two days since I lost my fucking job, I haven’t even told my parents yet. Fuck, I’m consideringing joining the Fakes for some reason and--and, holy shit, my heart won’t stop pounding, I feel like it’s going to burst!! What the fuck am I doing?! The Sauce was supposed to be an occasional thing, something I did to pick up extra money, and now they want a killing machine-’   
_

“Sauce,” Geoff’s voice sliced through his fogging thoughts like a hot knife through cold butter. “Sauce, we’re here,”    
  
Alfredo blinked and realized he’d shut his eyes. He gave a slow nod and kept his arms crossed as he followed the pair out of the elevator, gaze flickering to each possible corner. There was art lining the dark green halls, and their footsteps echoed loudly in the space around them. There was a single door at the end of the short hall and Jack opened it, stepping inside, Geoff a step behind her and he held the door open from Alfredo.    
  
“Lads!” he bellowed into the penthouse. “Get out here! We’ve got a guest-!”    
  
Alfredo stood in the middle of the entryway, eyes darting to everything, trying to log everything while a knot of emotion bubbled and roiled in his chest, stretching out so far it was bound to snap. A gentle tremor started in his shoulders, though he didn’t notice it, trying to take in the massive game system, the frankly near obnoxious TV in the center of it, the very comfortable looking couches and equally comfortable looking armchair. There was a kitchen, and an entire portion of the wall was just windows, so many windows, the midday sun trickling in through the cloud cover. There was the sound of running feet and yelling and Alfredo winced. Several things happened all at once, just then.    
  
A very familiar ginger came barreling down a hall, chasing two other men -- a man with bottle blond hair and the other a very short bald man, the three of them shrieking something. Alfredo turned a second too late and the ginger pulled up short, but the blond and the bald man continued to move, even as they tried to stop. In the next second, the pair barrelled into him, sending all of them sprawling to the floor. A searing pain lanced down from the back of his head and his legs felt numb, as his back felt like it were on fire. There was a loud  _ crk _ as his head hit the wood and the last thing he heard was a muffled,    
  
“What the fuck-!?”    
  
“Call Trev-” 

_-_-_-_

  
The first thing Alfredo noticed as he came back to consciousness was a very familiar smell -- rose body wash, spices, and old spice, and a very warm, calloused hand was cradling his skull, the other running through his hair very gently, occasionally moving to his face to wipe something off.   


“You with me, Fredo?” Trevor’s voice was like an anchor that he happily latched onto, moving his face into the other man’s touch. “You awake or just reacting?”    
  
A soft noise pulled itself from Alfredo’s throat and he cracked an eye open, squinting up at Trevor’s hazy form for a moment before closing his eye once more. The odd feeling in his chest hadn’t gone away, simply dulled itself out so he assumed that the other man was using his magic to keep him calm. Trevor resumed his careful petting and hummed.    
  
“Okay. I’m gonna talk for a little bit and explain what happened. Sound good?”    
  
An aborted nod.    
  
“Okay. So, I should start at the top. I work for the Fakes as one of the hackers slash info gatherers slash sniper? And on call healer, I guess, cause they’re all idiots. But, point of right now, you passed out. You’ve been unconscious for about three hours now, which scared the shit out of everyone else so they called me. Your heart was beating so fast I thought you were going to go into some kind of shock. But, anyways. Gavin and Jeremy bowled into you and lit you up like a goddamn christmas tree.”    
  
Alfredo made a confused noise and Trevor explained,    
  
“The blond and short guy with the beard. The blond is Gavin and the short guy is Jeremy, or Golden Boy and Rimmy Tim respectively. They… Well, I think they’re your soulmates, Fredo,”    
  
That made him stiffen, something like horror and relief mixing poorly in his stomach. Trevor noticed and pressed a hand to his stomach and Alfredo whimpered, biting his lip.    
  
“I know, bud, it’s terrifying,” he soothed, knowing almost immediately what that noise meant to say. “You haven’t stopped crying since they brought you in here, according to Geoff. I know, okay? I know you’re scared, but they’re good guys. If they weren’t I’d kick their asses so hard they’d be pushing daisies. But, look, talk to them. There’s a lot that’s...Well, there’s just a lot that needs to get hashed out, okay? I know this is a big fuckin shift for you, but I’m here. Meg and Lindsay are across the city but they’ll be here soon as I call them. Can I go and call them, maybe let Gavin and Jeremy in to talk to you?”    
  
Alfredo opened his eyes slowly, forcing himself to keep them open even as more tears fell. Trevor looked down at him, worry and concern etched into every line of his face, green light pulsing gently around him like a halo. Alfredo didn’t want the other man to leave his side, if only for the selfish reason that he was keeping his migraine down and he was familiar. But, he had to be an adult and face the pair who were supposedly his soulmates. That was still a completely alien thought, and one that made the pain in the base of his skull spike horribly, but he nodded.    
  
“Yeah,” he croaked, pushing himself upright and taking slow stock of the room. “Yeah, I can do that.”    
  
Trevor helped him situate himself on the large bed, propping him up on the pillows that surrounded him. He shivered a little and looked down, realizing he was shirtless. When he looked to Trevor the other man just gave him a sympathetic smile.    
  
“Your body was overheating in basically everything, so I stripped you down to your boxers. You wanna put your clothes back on?”    
  
“No,” he tugged the covers up a little more, not out of self consciousness but more out of reflex. “Just… I think I’ll be okay,”    
  
His gaze wandered around the room; it was fairly plain, but homey. It had a moderately sized bookshelf, and a small writing desk in a corner. There was a closet, a bed side table with a lamp that was providing the dim lighting to the room, as the heavy curtains were drawn. The walls were barren, but the room didn’t feel empty, just unused. The covers were thick, and heavy, giving him a comfortable grounded feeling. He felt Trevor pull away and reached back out for him immediately.    
  
“Whoa, hey, it’s okay, breathe man.”    
  
“Sorry,” Alfredo managed, shivering a little. “Just…”    
  
“Scared?”    
  
“Yeah,”   


It hurt his pride to admit such a thing, but it didn’t matter with Trevor.    
  
“I get it man, I really do. But, you have to breathe. Are you sure you’re okay with me leaving to go call Meg and Lindsay? Cause I can and will stay here if you want.”    
  
“No,” Alfredo managed to sound more firm. “No, I’ll be fine. Thanks, Trev.”    
  
“Hey, no problem. What’re best friends for?” he ran a hand one last time through Alfredo’s hair and he pressed his face into Trevor’s neck, sighing.    
  
Trevor waited for Alfredo to pull away and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “You’ve got this, Fredo,”   


Before he stood up and left. He paused at the doorway, whispering fervently with two people, blocking the doorway shockingly well before he cast one more look back to Alfredo. And what a sight he must had made. He could feel that the glamour had been dropped.. He hastily pulled it back up, fear jolting the old wound like a rusted knife, his last mask crumbling like dried mud.    
  
“Uhm,” a soft, warm voice made him look up and his breath caught. The bald man with a beard, Jeremy, his mind supplied, stood there in the doorway. “Hi,” he gave a soft smile and a little wave. “Gav-Gavin and I, can we come talk to you?”    
  
Alfredo gave a slow nod, watching Jeremy, and then the lanky blond-Gavin, cautiously. Instinctively, he moved away as they settled on either side of him, not close enough to touch given the bed was a King, but it made his heart skip a beat. Gavin had blond hair and a soft smattering of a beard, like he was growing it back in after shaving, and bright hazel eyes with a ring of gold around the iris. He gave a wobbly smile and murmured,    
  
“Hello there, love. Just here to talk, nothing more,”    
  
“...You’re British,” was the first thing that stumbled its way out of Alfredo’s mouth.    
  
Gavin giggled, a squeaky laugh that made Alfredo want to giggle too. Jeremy just chuckled. “Yeah, I am. London boy and all that. I’m Gavin Free, the Golden Boy but just...Just Gavin right now.”    
  
“And I’m Jeremy Dooley," he gestured to the plain clothes they were both wearing; hoodies and sweats. “Right now, just… just us. No masks. It’s...It’s actually really nice to meet you.”    
  
“Look,” Alfredo managed after a beat. “I don’t… I don’t know what to make of any of this, okay? Up until three hours ago, I have li-lived my whole damn  _ life  _ believing I’d never meet you. I’-I’ve seen couples break apart for their soulmate, or because their soulmate was a dick. I-I don’t.. This is insane-!!”    
  
“Trevor told us, a little bit,” Jeremy said, cutting Alfredo off before he could really get going and a part of him was grateful for that. “He said you were a Changeling, and trust me, that’s not an issue! Like, at all!”    
  
“But,” Gavin continued as Jeremy trailed off. “I...I think there might be an issue. See, where you have two soulmarks, we...We don’t have the same marks as you.”   
  
“What-?” Alfredo felt like his world was hanging on a very fragile thread.    
  
“Look,” Jeremy pulled his hoodie off and then lifted his shirt, revealing a pair of golden wings on his ribs that seemed to span around from his back.   
  
Gavin shifted and pulled up his shirt to show off his back, where a pair of silver-white antlers lay on his shoulder blades, purple, yellow, and orange flowers growing at the stubs. Alfredo let out a shaking breath and closed his eyes. He heard the twin intakes of breath as his glamour dropped fully, revealing everything. He kept his eyes closed until Gavin whispered,    
  
“You...You have both of ours? But… I don’t think we have yours?”    
  
“I...I don’t have one,” Alfredo murmured, still not opening his eyes, pulling the glamour back up. “Whole curse of the Changeling, I guess. Look, I-I get that, you two are soulmates. This is a stupidly fucked up situation. We can pretend it never happened, I’ll disappear, I don’t care, but just,”    
  
‘ _ Don’t break what’s left of me, _ ’    
  
“Alfredo,” Jeremy’s voice was a little whimper, like he were close to tears. “Oh my gods,”    
  
“We’re not gonna just,” Gavin started then stopped. “Just, ignore this! Fuck that! You have our marks, that makes you our soulmate. So what if you don’t have one of your own? Doesn’t mean your soulless or whatever the fuck. Just makes you-you, makes you more special!”    
  
Alfredo gave a weak snort at that line. “Really? More special is what you’re going with here?”    
  
“Well, it’s true,” Gavin said, smile shaking as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. “Look, we want you around,”    
  
“For real man,” Jeremy added. “Like, jesus christ, you’re our soulmate! We’re not gonna just, like, dump you out on the curb just for some silly thing like not having a soulmark,”    
  
Jeremy spoke with enough conviction to make Alfredo believe him. He stated it like fact, like nothing would be able to refute it. Nevermind that Alfredo felt like he was about to be sick with the absolute fear of every stressful thing that had been weighing in the back of his mind.    
  
“Alfredo,” Gavin. “Alfredo, can we touch you?”    
  
He gave a shaky nod.    
  
“Please,” bubbled past his lips, a plea, eyes screwed shut tight again.    
  
Damn his rule, it could burn.    
  
Burning hot, slender, gently calloused hands moved up the side of his thigh to his clenched fist, coaxing him to open it and weave with Gavin’s left hand, his right coming up to his side, pressing into the graceful, elegant wings that arched over his shoulders and down his back, ending at his mid thigh. Jeremy’s hands were cooler, but not too much cooler, than Gavin’s, and he wrapped one arm around Alfredo in a hug, lacing his right hand with Alfredo’s, squeezing gently. Alfredo shook like he was going to fall apart at the seams, a hysterical laugh crawling its way out of his chest and making him laugh as tears fell. Gavin and Jeremy didn’t try to stop him from crying, but they did hold on tighter, like they alone would keep him together. Finally, when his tears were done and his breathing was shallow and hoarse, Gavin slipped away, leaving Jeremy to hold the taller man.    
  
“Hey, it’s okay,” Jeremy muttered when an involuntary noise gurgled out of him. “He’s just going to get water. You need it.”    
  
“...This whole situation is so fucked up,” Alfredo hiccupped, laughing again.    
  
“Yeah, a little,” Jeremy agreed. “But, we’re just gonna take it a day at a time, okay? Nothing more than that. Sides, it took Gavin and I a year to get to know each other. We’ve been together almost three years, we’ve been waiting for you Fredo.”    
  
“You know what we should do?” Gavin said as he settled on the bed once more, handing Alfredo the glass of water.    
  
Alfredo made a noise into the glass, taking slow sips as Gavin returned to pressing against his side.    
  
“We should go on platonic dates, you know, in between work and stuff. We can get to know each other, all friendly like,"   


The Brits excitement was infectious and Alfredo felt a small smile tug at his lips.   


"Sure, Gavin," he said softly. "I just hope you both realize like… This isn't something that's going to be fixed in a day or because we have matching marks."

"Of course we don't expect that," Jeremy said, shifting away as Alfredo started to look uncomfortable. "Jesus Alfredo, how old are you?"

"Almost thirty," he started slowly, a little confused.   


"Yeah, so, you've had a fucking while to deal with that bullshit, and you've had a hell of a day," Jeremy looked like he was about to reach back out and squeeze his arm before he stopped himself.   


Gavin noticed as well and backed off, giving Alfredo more space and the tension melted of him. He missed the way the pair looked at each other before Gavin said,

"We'll take it slow like, Alfredo. Nothing you don't want."   


"Thank you," he said, the relief clear in his voice. He rubbed his face once more and let out a long sigh. "Can… Can you two give me some space? Tell Trevor to come back?"

"Yeah buddy, we can do that," Jeremy murmured.   


Gavin was on his feet and almost out the door before Jeremy had even stood. Alfredo blinked and Jeremy just shook his head fondly.   


"Slow down, Gav. S'not a race,"

The Brit looked a little apologetic but grinned nonetheless and Alfredo shook his head. Something warm was curling in his chest; he could feel it settle, almost abruptly, like a record that had been skipping so often he'd gotten used to it. He waited until both men were out the door to slide out of bed and grab his pants from the foot of the bed and pull them back on. He was pulling his shirt on when Trevor knocked.   


"Alfredo?"   


"Yeah, come in,"   


There was a low whistle and he paused, looking over his shoulder as he pulled his shirt down.   


"...What?"   


"Just, the wings, they look good man. They look like feathers now.” he paused. “Jeremy’s do too. He showed me when I got here. He and Gavin looked pretty shaken up but in a good way.”    
  
“...Will you take a picture?”    
  
Trevor just nodded and Alfredo turned back around, grateful that Trevor didn’t ask questions or if he was sure. He knew if it hadn’t been real, Alfredo wouldn’t have said anything to begin with. He pulled his shirt back up, bunching it up around his neck, rolling his shoulders. Trevor shuffled, moving closer and pulling his phone out.    
  
“Okay,” he said after a moment. “Here we, go,”    
  
He moved around Alfredo and showed him the massive wings and Alfredo’s breath caught in his throat. The wings were shimmering faintly, threaded through with pink and blue, golden-yellow and orange made it look like a sunset. The feathers themselves were no longer gentle outlines, but instead fully detailed and if Alfredo didn’t know any better he’d have said he actually had wings. He looked down at his hips and let out a weak noise. The antlers were almost metallic in their shimmer, like silver and ivory inlaid into his skin with gemstones. He ran tentative fingers over one, some part of him expecting it to feel real. It felt like his skin, just cooler without the subsequent heat of another body.    
  
“Meg and Lindsay’ll be here soon,” Trevor said quietly, barely interrupting the weird space Alfredo found himself in.    
  
“I’d rather stay in here, if it’s all the same,” he muttered.    
  
“I’ll tell them not to bug you. You want me to stay until Meg and Lindsay get here?”    
  
Alfredo nodded and rubbed his face self consciously.    
  
“Don’t worry, I didn’t take your glamor off until it was just me and you in the room. Michael and Jeremy carried you in and Jack called me. So, if that gets a point in their favor,”    
  
“A bit,” he gave a small smile. “Just a small one though,”    
  
Trevor chuckled and nudged him gently. “Okay. You lie down, I’m going to go tell them not to disturb us until Meg and Lindsay get here,”    
  
Alfredo nodded and immediately flopped down on the bed, curling up. He closed his eyes and blocked out the noise with the skill of an exhausted nurse. He gave a soft murmur when Trevor buried his hand in his hair once more, gently pulling him up and into his lap, letting Alfredo nuzzle closer. He just let himself drift and pull himself back together. Alfredo woke up when the door opened, stiffening under Trevor’s touch, only to relax when he heard Meg’s voice.    
  
“Hey there, big guy.”    
  
He sat up, shifting away from Trevor and rubbed at his eyes. “Hi,” he mumbled.    
  
“How’re you feeling?” her voice was gentle and warm and he gave a little shrug.    
  
“Overstimmed. Worn thin. I want to go home but I know I should try and see this through to the end.”    
  
Meg nodded and Trevor stood up.    
  
“I’ll leave you two crazy kids to sort this. I’ll go make sure Lindsay doesn’t kill someone.”    
  
“Please make sure they don’t,” Alfredo said after a beat. “I...I kinda want to get to know them,”    
  
Trevor paused then smiled. “Can do,” before he slipped out the door.    
  
Meg sat on the edge of the bed, his makeup kit in her hands. “Want me to-?”    
  
“Gods, yes. I had to drop my glamour already once today in front of complete strangers,”    
  
“Hey, proud of you,” Meg grinned, opening his kit. “Michael doesn’t count, he barely remembers your Changeling form. But two new people, soulmate or not, that’s impressive. You did good, buddy. Now, look at me, eyes closed,”    
  
Alfredo nodded and relaxed as Meg’s calloused hands gently cupped his wrists, sharp nails barely grazing his skin. He flexed and rolled his fingers when she made a soft noise, the cream sinking into his skin and warming his strained joints and sore muscles. Meg cleaned up the mess quietly and let him pull himself back into the Sauce mindset.    
  
“What are you planning?” she asked softly.    
  
He rolled his shoulders and let out a long breath. “Be more Alfredo than Sauce, I suppose. I was going to scare them, but after passing out and realizing I’m in the s-same crew,” he trailed off and gave a little shrug. “Guess I’ll just wing it and see how it goes.”    
  
“Only you, Diaz,” she teased, poking him in the chest. “Alright. And I am totally going to roast Gavin and Lil J over the coals. Lindsay may have given them the shovel talk but I’m gonna give them the Turney Talk.”   


“The Turney Talk? That’s what you’re calling it now?” his lips curled up in amusement and she poked him again. “Ow, hey, be nice,”   
  
“To you? Never,” she stood and gave him a look, grinning. “Come on, Mr. Sauce,” she drew the name out and Alfredo giggled.   
  
“After you, Ms. Dollface.”   
  
Meg tilted her head up and tucked the makeup under her arm and lead the way out. In the main room was the rest of the Fake AH Crew, all of them sprawled around the couch and in the armchair, or in Gavin’s case, flipped upside down, feet knocking together. Jeremy looked up as soon as he came out and gave him a shy little smile and Gavin flipped himself back upright.   
  
“Sauce, how are you feeling?” Jack asked, careful.   
  
“Better,” he said after a beat. “Passing out wasn’t in the plans, but it could have gone worse.”   
  
Geoff and Jack shared a confused look and Michael was biting his lip, boring a hole into his phone, Lindsay pressed against his side, a smile on her lips. Trevor was lounging on the couch next to Gavin, half sprawled on the arm, and Sarah was leaning against the back, looking a little curious.   
  
“Well, glad you’re up,” Geoff said after a moment. “Do you want to reign check the plans tomorrow-?”   
  
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You need to keep me up to speed with the rest of them. I can meet anyone I haven’t yet later, seeing as I’ll be around a fair amount. We can start it today and then continue later.”   
  
Sarah grinned and jerked her thumb towards Alfredo. “I like him. Can we keep him?”   
  
Alfredo snorted and shook his head, but followed Geoff and Jack towards what looked like an office. It was going to be a long day. 

_-_-_-_   


It was almost a novel experience, Alfredo found later, as the days passed, to go to the penthouse and talk work with Sarah, Geoff and Jack, and then slip away to just get some air. Alfredo knew he’d promised he’d give the whole soulmate’s thing a try, but new people made him nervous and he was still trying to wrap his mind around it. Jeremy and Gavin were respectful of his wishes, and were always quick to cover up their disappointment as he left. The soulmarks burned, coaxing him to come back to the penthouse, but he could barely stand to look at Jeremy and Gavin without his heart beating like a rabbits, a weird mixture of fear and longing bursting with each painful thud. He wanted to get to know them, to get to know the whole crew, but each time he found himself shying away, keeping his glamour firmly in place and barely speaking while he was at the penthouse. He watched, cautious, how they interacted and felt a small shift in his subconsciousness.   


Michael he learned, for all he was loud and explosive, had a quiet kind of thoughtfulness that came through when no one else was looking. Offerings, like red bull or tea, sandwiches, maybe a few dollars slipped into a pocket or extra ammo, were common. Geoff, on the other hand, was more obvious; loudly calling them to meals, complaining and bitching, good naturedly he’d learned, about slaving over a hot stove and scolding them when they did something stupid. It reminded Alfredo a little bit of a father with his children, and that image made him giggle. It was until later when he talked to Meg and Lindsay about it that he learned Geoff and Jack were known as the Gents and Jeremy, Michael and Gavin were the Lads. Jack was less of a mother hen than he’d first expected. She was protective, but that wasn’t from any mothering nature. She was just very good at knowing what they needed when they needed it, and made sure they got it. Be it silence, a sparring match, to go watch something explode, or a simple hug and a shoulder to cry on, she was there. It was jarring, seeing people that the whole city feared, be so real.   


Alfredo wasn't sure when  _ it _ started. Maybe it was when he realized Jeremy and Gavin were serious about taking things at his pace, never rushing him into anything. When he needed space, they made sure he got it, even going so far as physically blocking another crew members path to let him have time to himself. Maybe it was when he started to sit with the crew as they ate, occasionally adding his own two cents on a conversation and watching their faces light up. Maybe, it was when he learned about how much they cared for each other, even with the yelling and screaming, screeching at odd hours and the most random conversation topics brought up. It was certainly helped along by having Trevor, Lindsay and Meg there with him; Lindsay and Meg to get to know Michael more and Trevor was just Trevor, smoothing things out when they were needed. He learned that Michael was a warlock and Geoff was a vampire, though he still ate and cooked with near copious amounts of garlic. Nova, who's real name was Fiona, he learned was a selkie and was damn proud of that fact, while Axial, Matt, was an empath who seemed to be able to nudge the mood of the room just a little bit here and there.   


Maybe it started when he accepted Jeremy's offer to join him and Gavin for a coffee run that wound up taking a lot longer, the three of them getting sidetracked with conversations about video games, which turned to books and then anime. Maybe it was because Jeremy took him and Gavin to the beach more often than not, a little side place that was free of people, other than the three of them. Gavin would bring his camera and take photos of anything and everything while Jeremy sprinted through the waves and surf like a child until his shins and knees were wet and sandy. Once or twice, Jeremy had coaxed him to come into the surf with him, laughing and whooping in the frigid waters as Alfredo stood up to his ankles and Jeremy ran like a wild man through the surf. Gavin, Alfredo found out, would deposit interesting and beautiful stones and shells in his and Jeremy’s pockets as they were leaving. He didn’t say it, but he kept each one, lining them up on his windowsill. He didn’t miss how they asked each time before they would reach out and touch him, even if it were for a moment -- and how the rest of the crew copied them.   


It made something warm bloom in his stomach and he relaxed, just a little more, each day. 

They made jokes, poked fun at each other, shouted and argued but it felt like a family instead of a danger. It was nice, if a little overwhelming, to have so many people on his side. Alfredo found himself sharing more of himself, not just with the crew as a whole, but also with Jeremy and Gavin. He talked about being a nurse, shared horror stories from his ward days. He instigated touch first now and again, pulling them in excitement to come see something he’d found, or draping himself over them when they got back from long stake outs to learn the rotations. Gavin asked a million questions of the most nonsensical things Alfredo had ever heard of, but they made him think and he found himself ensnared quickly.   


Maybe it was when Alfredo was able to firmly shunt the traitorous little voice to the back of his head as he rode an adrenaline high with the rest of the crew, whooping with laughter as they outpaced the cops, gold and jewels practically dripping off of them as they finished their Christmas Jewel Heist just a week ago--

Alfredo startled when he heard a shutter go off and looked over to Gavin, who was lowering his camera.    
  
“Sorry, love,” he murmured, looking a little sheepish. “Just, it’s a good photo,”    
  
“The landscape?”    
  
Gavin hummed and made a little shrug. “Looks better with you in it.”   


Alfredo blushed and ducked his head as Gavin chuckled and siddled over to him.    
  
“You,” he started, only to be cut off as a few drops of rain started to fall.    
  
Alfredo looked up, brows furrowing in confusion. The darkened sky had turned to a roiling, angry mass, the cloud the color of fresh bruises. He looked back to Gavin as the drops started to pick up but before either of them could say anything, the sky opened up and they were almost immediately soaked. Gavin immediately grabbing his hand and tugging him along as Jeremy sprinted in from the ocean. They slid into the back of the Lexus, breathless and soaked, and Jeremy dove into the drivers seat seconds later. Gavin let go of his hand quickly with a soft apology and Alfredo almost immediately missed the odd, dry warmth, even through the wetness of their skin.    


“Fucking hell,” Jeremy panted, staring out the windshield. “That wasn’t expected at all.”    
  
“Can we turn on the heat?” Alfredo asked, shivering slightly. “It’s fucking December and I’m soaked,”    
  
Jeremy scrambled to turn the car on and then turned the heat up to full blast, giving Alfredo an apologetic smile.    
  
“Sorry, Fredo.” his gaze flicked to Gavin and he frowned. “Gav? You good?”    
  
The Brit was bent over his camera, grumbling to himself as he carefully inspected it.    
  
“I’ll have to take the lenses out and clean it, make sure there’s no sand or water in the casing. Sod it, this was a nice one too,” he whined, scowling at the camera. “It had better not bugger off.”    
  
“He’s upset that the camera may be ruined,” Jeremy translated.    
  
Alfredo nodded and thought for a moment, a shiver running up his spine. Jeremy noticed immediately and he clicked his tongue.    
  
“We need to get back to the penthouse and get you warm, buddy,”    
  
“I’ll be fine,” he said, waving off the worry. “Hypothermia doesn’t set in for another few degrees. At worst I get a cold.”    
  
Gavin looked up then and frowned sharply at him. “Fredo, no, Alfredo, you need to get a kip before you get sick, and a shower too,”    
  
Alfredo ran a hand through his hair then sighed, rubbing his temples. He could feel a migraine coming on, and his leg was starting to ache. If they went back to the penthouse, it would just be loud and it was getting late. He was cold and wet, and he could tell that for however much Gavin and Jeremy were trying not to show it, they were also pretty miserable. They both lived in the penthouse with the rest of the main crew, and he knew Geoff would just be annoying, he and Jack both fretting over them, and Michael would be loud --    
  
“Jeremy, I can give you directions,” he finally said.    
  
“Alfredo?”    
  
“Look, just… Just drive okay?”    
  
Jeremy paused, then turned around and pulled out of the small, cracked lot and into the main street. He followed Alfredo’s instructions without comment and Gavin scooted a little closer until their hands were almost touching. It was nice. Gavin looked out the window as they pulled up to his apartment, squinting as Jeremy parked and turned off the car.   
  
“Turney and Lindsay’s-?”    
  
“More than one person can live in an apartment complex, Gav,” Alfredo said, faintly amused before he got out and dashed for the entrance.    
  
Jeremy and Gavin were just behind him, sliding into the lobby and nearly bowling him over. Alfredo steadied them both with a small grin and lead the way to the elevator quickly, trying to keep from dripping too much on the floors. He gave Sophia, the girl behind the desk, a little nod, and she grinned in return, waving. Gavin and Jeremy looked around, curious, but it didn’t take long for the elevator to arrive and they quickly piled in. Alfredo leaned half against Gavin for the ride up to the seventh floor, grunting as he hit the button with his foot and ignored the half scandalized expression from Jeremy and the snort of amusement from Gavin.    
  
“Shut up,” he grumbled.    
  
“You literally told me off for doing the same thing two days ago!” Jeremy protested.    
  
“I’m a hypocrite,” Alfredo said with a half shrug.   


Jeremy crossed his arms but let the matter drop for the moment. Instead, the ride up was spent in silence, Alfredo’s pain echoing through the three of them. Gavin started to move and Alfredo grunted, wrapping an arm around his waist and pressing his face into Gavin’s shoulder, whining.    
  
“Come on, love,” he coaxed. “Need to get out of the lift,”    
  
Alfredo hummed and shuffled out, following Gavin’s movements as Jeremy stepped around them.    
  
“Which door, Fredo?” the shorter man asked.    
  
“725,” he mumbled, lifting his head and letting go of Gavin to lead the way down the hall. He dug his key out of his pocket and shoved it into the lock, pushing his door open a moment later. “I’m gonna take a quick shower, then you two can, if you want one. I’ll get towels,” he mumbled, words thick as his temples pounded.   


“We can find them, Alfredo,” Jeremy said gently. “Go get warm. Last thing you need is to get sick,”    
  
Alfredo gave a slow nod, head heavy, and he flicked the lights on as he let the other two into his apartment. There was an odd sensation in his stomach, like butterflies and curdling milk, but he swallowed it down and made his way to the bathroom. Once there, he pressed his palms into the counter and stared himself down in the mirror, shaking slightly, and not just from the cold. Taking deep gulps of air, he stripped out of the suddenly constricting clothes and turned the shower as hot as it could go. It was a shock to his system and he gasped, shivers growing to tremors and then a ragged noise dragged itself out of his throat. He bit his fist and pressed his right hand into the tile, eyes shut tight as the last three weeks events fell into place.    
  
Staking out the LSPD departments, building odd contraptions, the Christmas jewelry store heist, stealing money from gas stations and liquor stores like common thieves; thieves with miniguns and modified shotguns to be fair. He’d killed more people in the last three weeks than he would two months alone, and something in him was excited at the idea of the Sauce growing to be more than a boogeyman, more than a shadow. The rest of him was left, shaking and emotion wrought, trying to parse through the sheer  _ insanity  _ his life had become since he’d been fired from being a nurse. The late night shifts were replaced with stakeouts and crew meals, days off spent with Gavin or Jeremy, or both of them, or someone else from the main five, getting to know them. Getting comfortable enough to stay longer than just what work required of him. Comfortable enough to be more himself. Comfortable enough to start looking at what  _ it  _ was.

And he was comfortable with them, laughed with them and wasn’t as afraid of what they thought. Gavin and Jeremy were sweet, and while they could be absolute assholes, they made him laugh and made it abundantly clear they were going at Alfredo’s pace and no one else’s. His head throbbed and it took everything he had not to just sink to his knees and cry, both from the pain and sudden impact that people like Jeremy and Gavin  _ existed  _ in the first place. They were  _ good,  _ and so kind, it almost broke his heart to know so much was just directed at him. The little voice in the back of his head hissed from beneath the cracks that he wasn’t good enough. That he was the interloper, they were just being nice because he happened to share their marks. They didn’t have his. He didn’t have one--    
  
Alfredo bit back a yell and the need to punch the tile, hand curling into a fist as he gasped for air, staring at the water swirling around his feet. Bit by bit, the bubble of emotion deflated until it was gone, leaving him exhausted though his thoughts just turned down another avenue. They had their heist tonight, he couldn’t let this stop him. His leg throbbed in time with his head and he nearly cried. Alfredo forced his jaw to unclench, made his muscles relax as he pulled himself into some kind of order, and quickly scrubbed himself off with body wash. He turned the scalding water off, ignoring the steam rising from his skin, and dried himself off best he could before opening the door.   
  
“Oh, uhmn-hmn, sorry,” Gavin stuttered, fist raised as if to knock. “Eerr, just, ahh.. Yeah. Just got a little worried bout you, you know? Took a bit there, wanted to make sure you were okay,”    
  
“...I’m okay,” Alfredo said after a beat and the words tasted like ash on his tongue.    
  
From the way Gavin looked at him, the other man didn’t believe him at all and he clicked his tongue, crossing his arms, a blush dusting his cheeks.    
  
“Go and get dressed, Alfredo. You look like you’re about to fall over. J and I can shower together, nothing new there.” he paused, then asked, “How can we help?”    
  
“Soda,” Alfredo mumbled, stepping around Gavin deciding simply  _ fuck it _ . “Curling up on the couch. Pain meds in the first aid cabinet in the kitchen,”    
  
Gavin hummed and nodded, then beamed, something sparking in his eyes. “Don’t you worry love, I’ve got this.” he whipped out his phone and started to text someone.    
  
Alfredo didn’t particularly care. He walked to his bedroom and got dressed in his comfiest clothes; a pair of baggy sweats, an old band shirt, and a hoodie that he’d wound up keeping from Jeremy by accident. When he opened his door once more, Jeremy was standing there, towel wrapped around his waist and another that was slowly growing damp held against his chest. Alfredo blinked several times, just trying to process what he was looking at, and trying not to let his jaw drop at the same time. Jeremy was ripped; broad shoulders that led to a hairy chest and a happy trail that was less a trial and more a growing forest, soft curls that seemed well maintained but still growing in. Two very thin, old white scars were just under his pecs; a conversation they’d had just days ago, Jeremy coming out to him, twinning his hands, steel in his voice and fear in his eyes, behind the fire. His relief when Alfredo had just smiled and hugged him, the way things settled out after that. Alfredo nearly smacked himself in the forehead, both for forgetting to get them clean clothes, and to bring himself back to the moment.   
  
“Uhh, you don’t happen to have, like, a dryer up here do you?” Jeremy asked, sheepish.    
  
“Yeah, uh.. It’s-It’s down the hall, in the first closet. I-I’ll get you and Gav something to wear,”    
  
Jeremy brightened and awkwardly tucked the towel under his arm. “I’ll get our clothes in the dryer if you don’t mind leaving some stuff for us to change into? Gavin’s in the shower right now,”    
  
Alfredo nodded quickly and ducked back into his room. He heard Jeremy inhale like he was about to say something before the other man turned around, leaving Alfredo to pull the clothes together.   


‘ _ Really hope these fit them, _ ’ he thought, pulling out some older pairs of pajamas and plain black shirts. ‘ _ Their clothes shouldn’t take too long to dry though, so small mercies I guess? _ ’   


He sighed through his nose and resisted the urge to thump his head against the wall. Instead, he walked down the short hall to the bathroom and called,    
  
“Hey, uh, Gav? Lil J? I’m putting the clothes outside the bathroom door,”   


He got a muffled confirmation in return and shook his head. They’d figure it out. Alfredo left the clothes in two neat piles just outside the door and paused by his washer-dryer closet, listening. The steady  _ thnktnkthnktnk _ of the dryer confirmed Jeremy had likely tossed their clothes in and then decided to hide in the bathroom than hang around almost completely nude in Alfredo’s apartment. Which, was appreciated.    
  
‘ _ Though in Trevor’s words, they are attractive guys. I’d have to be an absolute moron not to see that, _ ’ he thought with a wry grin before shaking his head. ‘ _ No, bad Alfredo. This is what gets you hurt. Stop that. You have a heist for LSPD tonight. Don’t get sidetracked damn it. _ ’   


He walked to his kitchen and paused, spotting the bottle of Aleve on the kitchen counter. He smiled, touched at the thoughtfulness, and took three pills before putting in back in the first aid cabinet. He went to the fridge and pulled out three Cokes, then went to the living room and paused once more. Either Jeremy or Gavin had gone in and shut all the curtains so no light from the city could come through, and it even muffled the drum of the rain against the glass. Alfredo sat on his couch and popped the tab of the first diet coke and started to nurse it, making it last. Distantly, under the sound of the rain, he heard the shower shut off and the bathroom door open, but there wasn’t any indication of Jeremy or Gavin coming towards the living room. Alfredo took another sip, watching the hallway, eyebrows climbing as he watched Jeremy carry an armload of blankets and pillows from his closet.    
  
“Hey, buddy, think you can move? Gav wants to nest,”    
  
“Nest?”    
  
“That’s right, Frehdy, nest,” Gavin said, cheery voice lowered. “Now, up off the couch! I need those cushions,”    
  
“But, the heist,” he started, only to be waved off.    
  
“Don’t worry about it. I told Geoff you weren’t feeling well and he can bitch about it all he wants. You’re my friend, Fredo, and I’m not gonna let you put yourself in a position where you’re gonna be in pain. I saw you limping,”    
  
Alfredo blinked a few times before he stood and let Gavin tear his living room apart, Jeremy putting blankets and pillows where directed. As he watched them, it hit him then that they were the only ones in the crew, aside from Meg, Lindsay and Trevor of course, to see his bare face, glamoured as it was. He'd shown up to the small Christmas party, but he'd left early. They were the only two in the crew who saw what he looked like  _ first _ . He shook himself when Jeremy waved a hand in front of his face, a small frown on the shorter man’s face.    
  
“Fredo? You in there?”    
  
“Yea-yeah,” he managed and looked at the nest that Gavin had built.    
  
It looked shockingly comfortable; pillows and blankets were pulled this way and that, creating a natural dip in the middle where Gavin was lounging like it were natural. He beamed up at the pair and made grabby hands at them.    
  
“Come on, you two. Bloody hell, go through all the trouble of making the damn thing and you won’t even get in it to appreciate it.”    
  
Alfredo found himself sinking to his knees and then crawling into the nest, laying on his side. There was plenty of space, the thing nearly took up all the floor space between his couch and TV, and was twice as wide. There was space for the three of them and then some, and Alfredo felt his heart near burst when he realized it was for his benefit. He’d been growing more comfortable with touching the others lately, but there was a limit to how much interaction he could handle. And Gavin had built a lowered spot for them to all lie in; close enough for Alfredo to feel their presence but big enough that he could have his own space if he wanted.    
  
“Hey, Gavin? Jeremy?” he said as Jeremy settled next to Gavin. When he got soft hums in response, he continued, “Thank you. For this, I mean.”    
  
“Course Fredo,” Gavin said with a small, sweet smile.    
  
“We want you to be comfortable,” Jeremy added. “Like, I know you’ve been getting help for your anxiety, and I’m really proud of you man, cause that shit’s not easy to do. But, you’re here, in a nest with us, and I know you’ve got a bad migraine,” he grimaced a little, feeling the echo of the pain. “But Gav and I are here for you, okay?”    
  
Alfredo nodded and then, after a moment, crawled over so he was closer. Then, he inched closer and closer until his head was resting on Jeremy’s shoulder, the man between him and Gavin. They didn’t seem to even breathe for a moment before Jeremy asked in a very soft, trembling voice,    
  
“Fredo? Can we hold you?”    
  
“Yeah,” he mumbled, smiling into Jeremy’s throat. “Yeah, I’d like that,”    
  
He felt warm and burning hot hands reach out and gently rub at the base of his skull, making him turn to putty as Gavin shifted until he was between Jeremy and Gavin, and he felt content. The little voice was firmly crushed as Jeremy murmured,   


“I’m really glad we met you, Alfredo,” his hand grazing up and down Alfredo’s side, almost tickling him.    
  
Gavin made a soft cooing noise in assent and Alfredo just shut his eyes and let himself feel warm for the first time in ages. He didn’t sleep, or really rest, just drifted. Gavin and Jeremy didn’t speak until much, much later, the rain still pounding at the glass.    
  
“Fredo,” Gavin murmured, his voice wheezy.    
  
Alfredo grumbled, nuzzling into the furnace that was Gavin a little more.    
  
“Fredo, that tickles, come on,”    
  
“You’re stuck Gav,” Jeremy sounded amused.    
  
“You tosser, help me-!”    
  
“Nah, you two look cute.”    
  
“Cute’s a new one,” Alfredo mumbled with a faint smile, picking his head up.    
  
He watched Jeremy turn an interesting shade of pink and giggled, putting his head back down. His migraine had dulled, thankfully, to little more than a dull throb at his temples and he let out a long breath, nuzzling into the sheer sensation of  _ warmth _ that just poured from Gavin. He could feel the other man taking very slow, controlled breaths, like he didn’t want to startle Alfredo away. The sound of Gavin’s heartbeat was loud against his ear, but instead of annoying him it soothed something deep in him.    
  
“Jeremy, please help me Jeremy, I need to pee but I can’t move,” Gavin whispered, voice frantic.    
  
Jeremy snickered but Alfredo felt two strong arms wrap around him and pull him against a muscular chest and then further up until he was in Jeremy’s arms bridal style. Alfredo’s mind immediately flashed to a few, far more enjoyable positions as it registered that Jeremy wasn’t even straining as he held him there. Alfredo let out a whine, hands clutching Jeremy’s shirt as images of being held down with complete ease, calloused, warm hands running over his ribs and hips, squeezing tight enough to leave marks, scratches running up and down his back, bruises on his thighs;  _ leaving bruises  _ on Gavin’s thighs, bitemarks and claw marks --    
  
“Oh, shit, I’m sorry Alfredo,” Jeremy was saying, voice cutting through his mental haze like butter and it took everything he had not to ask what for.    
  
He very nearly whimpered when Jeremy set him back down, wanting to wrap himself around the shorter man like an octopus and never let go, drag Gavin into the mess and memorize the way their muscles moved, the way their chests rumbled as they laughed, as they breathed. Quickly, Alfredo slammed the breaks on those thoughts, feeling himself gasp.   


He was so fucked.    
  
“Fredo? Buddy? You okay?” Jeremy.    
  
“Y-Yeah,” he rasped, voice hoarse. He cleared his throat and willed the lazy arousal pumping through his veins to fuck off. “I’m good. Sorry. Just, not used to getting picked up like that by someone else. Threw me for a moment.”   


Jeremy’s worried expression made the man look like a wounded puppy and Alfredo felt his heart twinge.   
  
“Shit, I’m sorry. I’ll make sure I ask before I do that again unless it’s like, unavoidable.”    
  
“I mean,” Alfredo gave a smile, eyes flicking to the hall Gavin had disappeared down. “Kinda glad you did. I don’t fancy getting piss everywhere no matter how cute the person may be.”    
  
Jeremy blinked and for a moment Alfredo thought he’d fucked up. That fear washed away as a loud belly laugh burst out of Jeremy, pitching up into breathless laughter.    
  
“Oh-Oh my god, Fredo,”    
  
Alfredo felt a helpless little giggle burst out of him as well and soon they were leaning against each other, sinking to the floor once more, holding each other as they gasped for air. Alfredo half opened his eyes, vision blurry from the tears that were building up, and just stared at Jeremy, feeling his cheeks redden slowly. Jeremy was beautiful, face scrunched up and smile lines more pronounced around his eyes and head thrown forward so their foreheads were pressed together. He was gasping for air, wheezing little giggle tumbling past his lips as a dimple popped in his cheek, mostly covered by his well maintained beard. Alfredo felt a sudden need to see what that laugh felt like against his lips, if Jeremy’s beard would tickle, if he’d giggle against Alfredo’s lips and pull him closer. Before he could even explore  _ that  _ particular route further, there was a weight settling delicately and a now familiar voice right by his head,    
  
“You two are both so red, I think you’ll stay that way forever,” Gavin giggled.    
  
Jeremy burst into another giggle fit and Alfredo pulled away, rolling onto his back to try and breathe, giggles bursting out of him like fireworks. Gavin was laying on his side, head propped up on one hand, the other holding his phone out as he, presumably, took a few quick photos. Alfredo looked through the lense and smiled, feeling light in a way he hadn’t for a long time. He didn’t miss the way Gavin slowly put his phone down and that smug smirk smoothed out to a smaller, gentler smile, gold-ringed hazel eyes bright with some emotion Alfredo couldn’t decipher.   


His beard had grown back in, though more trimmed than before according to Jeremy, and Alfredo found he wanted to put his hand on the other man’s cheek and just stare at him. There was a long healed scar at his left eyebrow, freckles dotting his cheeks, almost lost in the tanness of his skin and disappearing into his beard. Alfredo wanted to run his thumb over them, wanted to pull Gavin into a kiss and see if they fit together in the first try or if it would devolve into laughter before they managed to pull each other close. He wanted to see Gavin smile like that so much more often, wanted to pull him and Jeremy into his arms and just revel in the fact that he could touch.    
  
‘ _ I could do that right now, _ ’ the thought was almost sobering and his laughter petered out to gentle breaths. He could hear Jeremy still trying to breathe, faintly hear Gavin talking, but none of it registered. ‘ _ I could pull them both into a hug right now and kiss them, never let them go. I could just...Just ask. _ ’   


“Can,” he stopped himself.    
  
“Fredo?” Gavin asked softly, looking at him, laying down so his head was resting against Alfredo’s shoulder.    
  
The heat was grounding. Jeremy forced himself to stop laughing, turning on his side so he could see Alfredo properly, eyebrows pinched together in worry and curiosity.    
  
“You okay? Do you need us to move?” he started to shift away but Alfredo reached out and put a hand on his arm.    
  
“No, this...This is fine,” he closed his eyes and sat up, forcing his shoulders to relax and the line of tension to unwind. “Can….Can I ask two things of you guys?”    
  
“Of course!” Jeremy said immediately, copying him and staying close.    
  
“Whatcha need?” Gavin shifted, sitting up as well, pressing his shoulder against Alfredo’s.   
  
Alfredo swallowed the  _ You two,  _ that nearly escaped. Not yet. He wasn’t ready to say that aloud just yet. Instead, he let out a slow breath and opened his eyes, looking first at Jeremy, then Gavin.    
  
“Can we just, stay like this for a little longer?”    
  
“Sure can,” Jeremy said with a warm grin.    
  
Gavin nodded and beamed, so bright it almost hurt to look at. “Sure we can love. Lovely Alfredo,” he added, grin taming to something sweeter. “What’s the other thing?”    
  
“Can I-Can I show you something?”    
  
Jeremy and Gavin looked confused but nodded. Alfredo gave them a little smile before closing his eyes and rubbed at his face, feeling the glamour shift under his hands. It was always easier to manipulate when he imagined it was real, not just magic. He ruffled his hair, then wiped down his face and gave a little wriggle. The glamour dropped, showing off his longer black hair, the ends curling and weaving like they were being blown in a gentle wind, his eyes glowing a brilliant bronze-gold, the glow soft but noticeable. His talon-like nails curled, black as a dragons claws, just over his fingertips, dulled down a bit so he didn’t cut himself, and his pointed ears twitched a little at the twin, soft inhales from Jeremy and Gavin. He quickly shut his eyes, about to pull the glamour back up when Gavin whispered,    
  
“Holy fuck,”    
  
Alfredo opened an eye and made a soft, curious noise. Gavin was staring at him like he were a piece of art, eyes wide and awe written across his face. His ear twitched as Jeremy made a noise like a clicking purr and he looked at the other man. Jeremy’s mouth was open just a little, eyes darting to take in everything about Alfredo like he were afraid he’d miss it. He watched Jeremy’s mouth move up and down slightly, like he were trying to find his voice but just couldn’t make words.   
  
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he managed, aiming for teasing and landing somewhere just short.    
  
“Fuck, can I?” Gavin breathed. “Jesus Alfredo, you’re bloody gorgeous. I know, we saw your Changeling side before but, just… Holy shit.”    
  
Alfredo rubbed at his cheek, callouses scraping gently against his skin as he blushed and chuckled a little, feeling oddly comfortable and like he wanted to curl into a ball. He wasn’t used to letting the glamour drop, but he knew Gavin and Jeremy.    
  
‘ _ Soulmates or not, I would have probably dropped it by now regardless. _ ’ he thought with a faint smile.    
  
“Yeah, sure,” he sighed, shrugging a little.    
  
“Really?” Gavin looked taken aback, like he wasn’t expecting it.    
  
Alfredo snorted softly. “Gav, there is nothing someone can make me do if I don’t want to do it. I know you’ve been taking photos of Jeremy and I since you came back.”   


He laughed, not unkindly, as a high blush erupted across Gavin’s cheeks and he sputtered,    
  
“Well, yeah, but I’d delete them if you didn’t want me to keep them! I ain’t a complete arse, you prick-!”    
  
“Gavin, it’s fine,” Alfredo soothed, still chuckling. “Seriously.”    
  
Before he could blink, Gavin was taking a photo and then turned it over to Alfredo. He flexed his fingers and retracted his talons so he didn’t scratch the screen, ignoring the noise Gavin made with an eyeroll. Looking down at the photo though, he felt his breath catch. Even in a split moment, Gavin had managed to capture a good photo of him. It was a little blurry, but he looked good. There were smile lines at the corners of his eyes, and the old break in his nose that had made it a little crooked looked good despite the fact it wasn’t a side profile. Gavin had managed to catch him mid laugh, and Alfredo felt vulnerable in the best way simply looking at the photo. He looked a little to the left and saw the way Jeremy in the photo was looking at him; eyes wide but with a soft smile on his lips. He looked beautiful.    
  
“Wow,” he breathed, handing Gavin his phone back. “You..That’s really good,”    
  
Gavin made a pleased noise that reminded Alfredo of a morning dove and Jeremy made another rough purring sound.    
  
“Can you do that thing with your nails again?” Jeremy asked suddenly and Alfredo blinked then held his hands out and flexed, letting his talons slide back out. “That’s so cool,”    
  
“Oh, god,” Gavin murmured, sounding like he would gag.   
  
Alfredo just grinned a little and shook his head. “You two really know nothing about Changelings, do you?”    
  
“Well, I mean,” Jeremy rubbed the back of his head, fuzz scraping against his hand and he frowned, probably making a mental note to cut it soon. “We researched,”    
  
“A lot,” Gavin added. “Like, so much. I swear I could write a full academic paper at this rate,”    
  
Alfredo grinned. “Well, if you ever get around to it, you have a primary source at your disposal,”    
  
He didn’t miss the way Gavin’s eyes widened and his smile turned sharper, more heated.    
  
“Promise?” Jeremy asked, and Alfredo turned to face him.    
  
His expression seemed to echo Gavin’s; smile warmer, more heated, a darker look in his eyes, turning the soft brown to a richer color, almost black. Alfredo felt very much like he were pinned.    
  
‘ _ Isn’t that just a pretty picture, _ ’ he thought distantly before taking a deep, slightly shaking breath and nodding.    
  
“Yeah,”   


The tension that settled over them broke when Alfredo’s phone went off and like that, he was shooting the pair an apologetic look before he picked up.    
  
“Hello?” he cleared his throat as it came out like a rasp.    
  
“ _ Alfredo? Are you alright? You sound like you’re getting sick.”  _ _   
_ _   
_ “Hey Dad,” he said, feeling himself smile. “Uh, just...Just give me a sec,”    
  
“ _ Sure- _ ”    
  
“It’s my dad, I’m just gonna go to the kitchen,” he murmured to Gavin and Jeremy before he stood and picked his way out of the nest. “Hey, I’m back,”    
  
“ _ Well glad to hear that, _ ” his dad snorted. “ _ Lord almighty, Fredo, you getting sick out there? You know your mother and I may not be magic types but we’ll be out there soon as to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Changelings don’t do well with the cold. Isn’t that the whole reason you moved out there in the first place? _ ”    
  
“What-? Dad, no, I’m fine, god you don’t have to worry so much. No, I’m-I’m fine. Just, got caught out in the rain with my,” he stopped, gnawing on his lip.    
  
“ _ Alfredo?”  _ _   
  
_

“Yeah, I’m here,” he let out a long breath. “If I tell you this, you have to  _ promise _ you won’t tell Mom.”    
  
“ _ I mean, I can try. You know she’s too damn good at figuring things out, but I’ll try. What’s going on, son? _ ”    
  
Alfredo peeked into the living room but Jeremy and Gavin were seemingly absorbed in their own world, murmuring to each other. He shuffled a little further into the kitchen and cupped the receiver, whispering,    
  
“I...I found them,”    
  
There was a beat of silence and then Alfredo pulled the phone away to arms length, wincing as his dad screamed in sheer joy, whooping.    
  
“ _ I KNEW YOU WOULD!! I TOLD YOU YOU’D FIND HAPPINESS FREDO, I FUCKIN TOLD YA!! AHAHA WAIT UNTIL YOUR MOTHER HEARS-!!”  _ _   
_ _   
_ “Dad-!” Alfredo snapped, furious blush erupting across his cheeks. “Fucking, no! You said you weren’t going to tell her-!”    
  
“ _ I said I’d try and keep her from finding out. That’s not the same thing, _ ”    
  
Alfredo suddenly understood why people said he was so much like his father and resisted the urge to drag his hand down his face.    
  
“Fucking. Nope. You know what, I’m not gonna send you your Christmas gifts now.”    
  
“ _ Too late, we already got them and opened them, _ ” the amusement was clear in his father’s voice and Alfredo grumbled to himself. “ _ Aww, Fredo, come on. This is a good thing! I told you you’d find them! Your mother and I may not have been soulmates, but that doesn’t mean love isn’t love, destined or not. Are they good to you? _ ”    
  
Alfredo couldn’t help the goofy smile that pulled at his lips as he hummed softly. “Yeah, they are,”   


_ “Then just let the rest happen as it will. Don’t matter if that love is platonic or romantic, just means you’ve got each other, all three of you. How did they take you not having a mark?”  _ _   
_ _   
_ “Better than I thought,” he murmured, “And...I dropped the glamour,”    
  
“ _ I’m very proud of you Fredo,”  _ the warmth in his dad’s voice made Alfredo smile just a little. “ _ That takes a lot of courage and I wish I could smack every single person who’s ever said otherwise with a chair. You’re a good man, you hear me? You’re a damn. Good. Man. And you deserve to be happy, so let yourself be happy.”   
_

“I think I am,” he whispered. “I...It’s been a while, but they’re good people too.”    
  
“ _ You should bring them round next holiday season! I know New Years is a bit too close, what with your new job starting up, but you should bring them round. Them and Meg, Lindsay and Trev. We haven’t seen them in ages.”  _ _   
_ _   
_ “Yeah, I will,” he huffed a little, smiling at the mental image of Gavin and Jeremy meeting his family and trying to survive the tiny force of nature that was his mother. “Mom’ll have a blast roasting them,”    
  
“ _ Oh, for sure. Now, go get back to what you were doing. Sounds like you had people over,”  _ _   
_ _   
_ “I mean, you’re not wrong,” he chuckled. “I’ll talk to you later, okay? I’m sorry I couldn’t come home for Christmas this year, again,”    
  
“ _ It’s fine. The Goggle hangout was a nice proxy. Next year we’ll have a full house, and that’s what matters. Love you Alfredo,”  _ _   
_ _   
_ “Love you too, Dad,” before he ended the call, rubbing his temples.    
  
He loved his parents, he truly did, but he knew he’d be bombarded in the coming days about what his soulmates were like, if he liked them, if Meg, Lindsay and Trevor approved of them and all the like. A part of him was tempted to just let his parents loose on Jeremy and Gavin, just to see how they’d react. He paused in the doorway, thoughts stuttering to a stop as he took in what was going on in his living room. Gavin was in Jeremy’s lap, holding his face like he were afraid Jeremy would disappear, kissing him with tender ferocity. Jeremy’s hands were splayed at his hip and in between his shoulder blades, a noise torn between them that had Alfredo quickly taking a few quiet steps back and then walking louder towards the living room. He heard them break apart, but not hastily, and that made a warm feeling curl in his chest.    
  
“You know, when I said make yourselves at home, that wasn’t quite what I’d expected,” Alfredo ribbed, watching Jeremy blush just a little while Gavin grinned.    
  
“Aww, lovely Alfredo--” whatever he was about to say was cut off with a squawk as Jeremy pinched his thigh suddenly.    
  
“Behave, you animal,” Alfredo heard, ears twitching.    
  
Gavin huffed and pressed a chaste kiss to Jeremy’s lips, a soft coo filling the air as he pulled away. Jeremy just looked like he’d been given the world, and Alfredo felt a stab of something in his heart. Silence hung for a moment before Gavin was wriggling off Jeremy’s lap and brushing past Alfredo to get to the kitchen, sending him a little wink. Alfredo blinked and looked back to Jeremy, who was still laying right in the middle of the nest, looking so inviting. Instead, he shuffled over and laid back down with a soft grunt, watching Jeremy with half opened eyes.    
  
“Hey,” he murmured.    
  
“Hi,” Jeremy’s smile was small and tender, and it made Alfredo’s heart hurt in the best way.    
  
“We were wondering, if well,” Jeremy bit his lip for a moment. “We were wondering if you’d want to come to the New Years Eve party. There won’t be a lot of alcohol, cause Geoff quit, and we don’t want to make the place reek of it. And, it’ll be small. Just the core crew and a few members of B-Team. I think. Maybe. I need to check in with Jack on that, but otherwise, yeah. I mean, only if you want, obviously, and like, you don’t have to see this as anything other than friends going out together to a party--”    
  
“Jeremy, I’d love to go with you two,” Alfredo interrupted before the younger man could really get going. “I think it’d be fun. And if it gets too loud, I can just like, go to the roof. I’m not that bad,”    
  
“You wriggled out of literally every party invitation we tossed your way, tosser,” Gavin said from the kitchen doorway, a glass of water in his hand, but a smile played at his lips. “You ain’t gettin out of this one though, not if it kills me.”    
  
Alfredo just shook his head and groaned. “What did I just agree too?”    
  
“Spending the whole night with me and Lil J, obviously!” Gavin chirped, laughing.    
  
“We’re not that bad,” Jeremy added, mock pouting.   


Alfredo just shook his head and groaned, louder, before he devolved into giggles. Gavin laughed and soon Jeremy was joining in until they were a mess of breathless laughter and rosy cheeks. They petered out naturally, each of them swallowing air in slow gulps, eyes half open as they tried to pull themselves back together.    
  
“We should prolly get going,” Jeremy said after a long few minutes of silence.    
  
“Why?” escaped Alfredo before he could stop it.    
  
“Because we’ve been here for like, five hours? A little more, maybe?” Jeremy said slowly, voice lilting in a question. “And I don’t think we should overstay our welcome, you know, first time being here and such,”    
  
Alfredo huffed. “Lil J, if I didn’t want you here, I’d have kicked you out hours ago. Do you two want to stay for dinner?”    
  
“Yeah,” Gavin said before Jeremy could say anything. “What? We do!”    
  
“It’d be really nice, actually,” Jeremy admitted, grinning a little, rubbing the back of his head.    
  
Alfredo hummed and nodded. “Well, I mean, I can cook if you don’t mind waiting a little bit?”    
  
Jeremy was on his feet in an instant, looking intrigued. “I can help, if you want,”    
  
Alfredo shrugged and stood. “If you want. It’s just omelettes, since that’s all I’ve got the ingredients for, but I mean, I’ve got an enchilada recipe I can whip up next time y’all are over,”    
  
“Just say when,” Jeremy grinned, Gavin nodding rapidly in agreement.    
  
Alfredo chuckled and lead the way to the kitchen. It was a unique experience, cooking with someone else. Jeremy was quick with what Alfredo needed, chopping up vegetables and the left over steak he’d cooked a few nights ago for his small Christmas celebration with Meg, Lindsay and Trevor, after the much larger one with the crew. Gavin sat at the table, just watching, content. It was nice, moving with someone else in the kitchen, feeling at total ease. The brushes of Jeremy against his side, his occasional questions about what Alfredo wanted to do next, made him feel warm. He flipped the omelettes with a little finesse; shaking the finished omelette down to the lip of the pan and with a flick of his wrist, flipped it end over end and caught it. Gavin cheered and Jeremy grinned.    
  
“Good job, talented, lovely Alfredo!” Gavin called as Jeremy held a plate out for Alfredo to plate the first one.    
  
“Thanks,” Alfredo managed with a light blush dusting his cheeks.    
  
Jeremy seemed to take notice and slid little compliments here and there as Alfredo cooked, Gavin tossing a few in as well, leaving the man chuckling and fighting down a fiercer blush. When they were sitting at the table with their light meal, it was nice. They didn’t talk much, just enjoyed each other and the meal, simple as it was, but it didn’t take long to finish off. They sipped at their drinks, basking in the distant, muffled sound of rain and the presence of the other two. Finally, when the kitchen was cleaned up and the living room was put back together again, Gavin and Jeremy were shuffling their feet as they held their long dry clothes in reusable bags, none of them really acknowledging the odd weight that settled over them.   


“Today was fun,” Gavin said finally.    
  
“We’ll do it again soon,” Alfredo found himself promising with a small grin. “I’ll actually you know,” he waved to the kitchen. “Stock up on things so we can have something that isn’t just a cooked egg with some stuff in it.”    
  
Jeremy grinned. “Hell yeah man. That’d be awesome.”    
  
Alfredo smiled a little wider and nodded. “I’ll see you two at the New Years party, if not sooner. I’m sure Geoff’ll want to brag about whatever it is he pulled off with LSPD,”    
  
“Knowing Geoffry,” Gavin said with a chuckle, “He’ll be face down most of tomorrow and refuse to move. Today’s the two days after Christmas Heist. We change it up every year.”    
  
“We’ve only done it twice,” Jeremy said with an eyeroll. “But, I think today was spent better than a heist.”    
  
Alfredo rubbed the back of his head and gave a weak laugh. “Aww, you’re gonna make me blush,”    
  
Gavin elbowed Jeremy as he made to say something and Alfredo raised an eyebrow.    
  
“We should get going,” Gavin said quickly. “We’ll see you soon, lovely Alfredo!” before they were gone and Alfredo was left to wonder what had just happened.    
  
He shook his head and went about his nightly routine before crawling into bed. He’d long ago given up getting any sleep when he wanted to, and instead laid there, eyes mostly shut, and let his thoughts wander. Some of them wandered back to the idea of having Gavin under him, Jeremy behind him, bruises, bitemarks and scratchmarks painted across his back, hips, and sides, clenching the sheets, arching muscles and the sound of breathless moans and laughter. He thought about mornings after, slow, lazy kisses and pressing into the unbelievable warmth, making breakfast. Heists, laughing, having hands trace along the wings at his back and the antlers on his hips. Alfredo fell asleep with the phantom weight of arms draped around him.   


‘ _ I am so fucked, _ ’    
  
The next day, Alfredo drove over to Trevor’s apartment and let himself in without so much as knocking. Trevor was already awake, standing at the stove, humming as he half danced to some song playing from his phone. He was wearing boxers and an old hoodie, eggs and bacon cooking on the stove. He barely looked over his shoulder when Alfredo came in and started taking his riding gear off.    
  
“You eat yet?”    
  
“No,”    
  
“Eggs and bacon?”    
  
“Mnhm,”    
  
Trevor hummed and cracked another egg in the pan before he added another strip of bacon. Alfredo just slumped at the island bar, head pillowed on on arm, the other draped against his head, hand buried in his hair. The long strands curled and weaved in his fingers as he toyed with them. Trevor kept humming and shuffle dancing. At one point, he turned the stove off and went to put on pants and Alfredo just waited. He barely looked up when Trevor put a plate in front of him and sat next to him. He heard the other man start to eat and then slow down. There was the soft sound of a fork being put down.    
  
“What’s up?”    
  
Alfredo grunted and Trevor laughed, not unkindly.    
  
“Dude, something is eating you. You’re not eating, and I know you’re a god damn foodie. Plus, you harp on me all the time for not eating properly so I’m gonna do the same to you bitch. Eat and tell me what’s eating you.”    
  
Alfredo lifted his head and dragged the plate over, taking a bite of overeasy egg. Trevor just sighed and returned to his own breakfast, but leaned into Alfredo’s shoulder when he pressed against him for a moment. When they’d finished and Trevor was putting away the bacon as Alfredo cleaned the plates, he heard,    
  
“Oh, I got some kickass footage from the heist last night. It’s fucking  _ great _ , oh my god, Fredo. I’ll show you, cause it was live feed but I managed to work my magic and made a recording. I’m thinking of giving it to Geoff as a late Christmas gift. Whatd’ya think?”    
  
“...Can I do something in the name of science?” Alfredo asked, drying his hands off and turning to face Trevor.    
  
He was half reclined against the island bar, body a sinuous line that would pull anyone towards him like a magnet. Alfredo, years ago, had felt that same pull, but it hadn’t been anything deeper than a heated attraction, fueled by fear of death and what could have been a crush. Trevor was watching him, eyebrow cocked and confusion written across his face before he shrugged.    
  
“Sure, why not?” he stood up a little and Alfredo’s ears twitched a little as he covered the short distance between them with a few long strides. “Fredo?” Trevor wasn’t afraid, just curious.    
  
Alfredo lifted a hand and stared Trevor down, breath mixing with his before he closed his eyes and kissed him. It started off slow, as it always had with Trevor, before it grew deeper. Trevor cupped the back of his neck and tilted his head a little, pulling him deeper. Tongue at some point got involved. Alfredo nipped Trevor’s lip as he pulled away to breathe, lips shiny with spit and eyes burning bright bronze-gold. Trevor looked a little dazed, breathing shallowly as he tried to catch his breath.    
  
“Not,” Trevor stopped as his voice cracked. Cleared his throat. “Not that that wasn’t a very welcome wake up, can I ask why?”    
  
Some days, Alfredo appreciated how intuitive Trevor was. He wasn’t sure if at that moment he was happy or frustrated or some amalgamation of both. Slowly, he pulled away, giving Trevor a bit of space to catch his breath but not too far.    
  
“It’s not the same.” he said.    
  
“Gonna have to give me a bit more there, Fredo,” Trevor said, more amused than annoyed.    
  
“Just,” Alfredo rubbed at his face. “Last night. I-I went on a date, I think at any rate it was a date, with Gavin and Jeremy,”    
  
“No shit? That’s awesome!”    
  
“Yeah, well,” Alfredo pulled away and threw his hands up in the air. “I don’t fucking get it! Just, this-this crush or whatever the fuck I have on them! Kissing you, it’s nice, don’t get me wrong, you’re a gea-great kisser, Trev. But just, it’s not even like it was four years ago, or those few times we kissed cause why not see if there was any spark, right?”    
  
Trevor nodded and settled in for the long haul, arms crossed loosely in front of his chest.    
  
“But, just, Gavin and Jeremy are so fucking kind, and yeah, they’re asre-ass- _ dicks _ sometimes, but it’s never in mean spirit. And it’s more funny than not. They’re just… Good guys, who give a shit even if they can drive me up the wall. And, I had them over to my apartment last night cause it was storming and we were out at the beach and it was freezing and I just wanted to get home,”    
  
“Whoa, whoa, you took them  _ home? _ ”    
  
“Not like that,” Alfredo snapped, starting to pace. “I mean, I just didn’t want to go back to the penthouse cause the heist prep and everything, and I had a migraine and my leg was starting to hurt, so I just said, fuck it?!? And then took them home. And after I like, showered and got dressed, I gave them some of my clothes for them to change into and, like, Gavin made this-this nest, in the middle of my living room,” He ignored Trevor’s sharp inhale. “Yeah. I was in the middle of that, by the way, and it was nice. Like, so nice. And then, like, Jeremy picked me up, bridal style, like I weighed nothing. And-And he and Gavin have such nice laughs? I fucking… I fucking dropped my glamour and you’d think I hung the moon! And I told my Dad, which was prolly a mistake, cause now my parents want to meet my soulmates, so that’s a whole nother thing. I also fucking cooked for them cause I didn’t want them to leave when J said they should get going-!!”    
  
“Okay,” Trevor’s hands landed on his shoulders and squeezed. “Alfredo, do me a favor and take a deep breath. Then, let it go and take another. Good. Again. And again.” when Alfredo was breathing a little more normally, he continued, “You cooked for them.”    
  
Alfredo nodded.    
  
“You dropped your glamour around them, after only knowing them for a month.”    
  
Another nod.    
  
“And you kissed me because-?”    
  
“Because I had to make sure it wasn’t just, just some crush-!” Alfredo burst out. “I don’t do crushes! I don’t… Love isn’t… Sex isn’t--” he trailed off with a frustrated noise, resting his head on Trevor’s shoulder. “Sex is great, but you’re the only one I’ve ever had sex with feelings with, you get me?”    
  
Trevor nodded and hummed. “Yeah, I get ya baby. Okay, so, Alfredo. Answer me this. Do you want to fuck them?”    
  
“Is that supposed to be a question?” Alfredo mumbled. “No shit.”    
  
“But is it  _ just  _ sex? With us,” he squeezed his shoulders gently. “It was like, friends with benefits that may have become something more if we hadn’t decided to end it. Honestly, I think I’m happy we did, cause you’re a great partner, but I like you more as a friend.”    
  
“It also started cause I got stabbed with a five inch iron knife in the thigh and we were scared I’d die,” Alfredo mumbled. “And I kissed you cause I didn’t wanna die with more regrets,”    
  
“Well, that too. Our thing was fueled by that and a job, and then the fact that we got along so well. Is this different?”    
  
“ _ It  _ just keeps growing in my chest, and fuck, TRev, I’m scared. I don’t… I don’t know what to do,” Alfredo whispered, shutting his eyes tight. “I don’t know what to do. Would I have fallen for them if I weren’t their soulmate? Am I falling for them? What happens if it doesn’t work? I don’t… I don’t want to lose them. They’re good people.”    
  
“Okay, now you’re being dramatic,” Trevor said with a grin, pinching Alfredo’s hip. “Your concerns are valid, Mr. Drama Llama, but baby, you gotta do the Adult thing and talk to them. Soulmates maybe able to feel the vague sense of emotions and pain and such, but that doesn’t mean they’re mind readers. You’ve been pretty good about communication so far, from what I’ve seen, cause there’s been no reason to smack any heads together yet.”    
  
“Trevor, I literally have no clue what I’m doing and that scares me so much more than I ever thought possible. There, frank enough?” Alfredo snapped, feeling annoyance surge forward. “I want them in my life and I am shit fucking terrified of losing them.”    
  
“Ohhh shit,” Trevor muttered, wincing a little. “Okay yeah, that’s pretty frank. Look, dude, I don’t know what else to tell you but you’re head over fucking heels for them both, and I know you. Soulmarks have literally never mattered to you, and the day they do is the day I eat Geoff’s socks.”    
  
Alfredo wrinkled his nose in disgust and Trevor gave a solemn nod. “Yeah. I’m that serious. But, look. Just, talk to them, okay? Hell, instigate something. You’ve come so far out of your shell around them it’s insane. I literally expected you to do this kinda thing in like, six months. You’ve grown a lot, and that’s pretty big. You’re a good man, Alfredo.”    
  
He let out a slow breath and pulled Trevor into a hug. “Thanks, Trevor,”    
  
“You’re welcome,”    
  
When they pulled away, Trevor gave him an eyebrow wriggle and grinned. “You should kiss em at New Years, on the countdown I mean.”    
  
Alfredo felt his face flush and felt a little light headed.    
  
“Oh, come on. Like you weren’t thinking about it for weeks.”    
  
“I’ve thought about a lot for the last couple weeks,” he rumbled, half heartedly glaring at the other man. “But, that’s not the point right now. Point is, is that maybe I’ll kiss them.”    
  
“Good! Let me know when you do.”    
  
“Why?”    
  
“I can’t be happy for my best friend?”    
  
Alfredo gave him an unimpressed look but Trevor just kept up the innocent expression. Alfredo shook his head and gave up; it was impossible to made Trevor budge if he didn’t want to. Trevor just laughed lightly and looped an arm through Alfredo’s and dragged him to the couch where his computer was already hooked up to the TV.    
  
“Now that that’s sorted, let’s watch a heist!”    
  
Alfredo sat down and sprawled, pulling Trevor down to sit with him as soon as he had everything sorted the way he wanted. He settled in for the sheer shenanigans; all he knew was a lot of prep work had gone into the heist and that it was supposed to be non-lethal. That he hadn’t gotten a frantic call to come patch someone up, he assumed it was a success. On the screen in full color was the very bland looking LSPD bullpen. There was nothing special about it, though all the desks were empty and the lights were out. One person had a menorah on their desk. Alfredo opened his mouth to ask what he was waiting for when he saw it, a pair of boots hanging from the ceiling. A vent, then. A rope dropped down and then seven very different shape Santa’s dropped down, one after the other. They were all carrying almost comically large, bulging sacks over their shoulders. One paused to adjust their beard before giving thumbs up and the feed cut to the plain office once more.    
  
“Did-” Alfredo started, looking at Trevor before the other man was shushing him and pointing at the screen.    
  
Alfredo obediently looked back to the TV and felt his jaw drop. The entire LSPD office had been coated in garish Christmas and Hanukkah decorations; thick ribbons of tinsel hung from every available surface. Through the glass into the Chief’s office he could have sworn he saw nothing but wrapping paper. The desk that had had the menorah had several dozens more, all in varying sizes and what could have been materials. There were dreidels and coins scattered across desks, and boxes of different shapes and sizes on every desk. Several computers had been gift wrapped and tied with a bow, while others looked like they’d been placed in a box and wrapped back up. The floor was no longer carpet, but instead a massive sheet of wrapping paper, a regular sized bow plopped right in the middle of it. There were lights of every color and variety strung around the room, lighting up the shadows and making the office space look almost peaceful. The seven Santa’s were ascending the rope once more, pulling the vent grate back up and then it was like nothing had happened. Trevor held up a hand and silently counted down from five as the footage sped up.    
  
The first few officers that arrived were wary, but it didn’t seem like panic. From their movements, Alfredo assumed they were more annoyed at someone or other and then it hit him. They thought someone inside the precinct had pulled the prank off. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Trevor shook his head and shot him a smile. So, he waited. The footage fast forwarded again, more people coming in and exclaiming something, but there was nothing but shrugs. Someone was tearing the paper off their computer -- and keyboard, Alfredo realized, and he giggled at the attention to detail. Soon, the office was full of people, all of them looking around in confusion and annoyance, though a few seemed amused. The person whose desk was covered in menorahs looked almost touched, and they were talking to their desk mate, lifting one up and examining it. Someone else opened a present and then chaos erupted. Each present burst open like a bottle popper and glitter rained down, coating everything in green, red, blue, silver and white.    
  
Alfredo was in tears, laughter nearly silent as he tried to remember to breathe between breathless gasps of mirth. Trevor was little better, laying in Alfredo’s lap as he howled with laughter, pitching higher and higher as he too started to wheeze for air. They clung to each other, wrapped up tight together as they tried not to fall off the couch and smack their heads on the coffee table. It was a near thing several times. They were both red in the face when they managed to stop, their cheeks sore from their smiles, still giggling.    
  
“Okay, that was pretty worth it,” Alfredo managed when he could speak again. “Oh my god. Did you see the guy that-that just,” he made an explosion noise and made a motion with his hands.    
  
“Oh my god, I didn’t think it’d work but it did,” Trevor cheered weakly, still giggling between words. “Meg’s a kickass enchanter, oh god. Lindsay and Michael were pretty great too, jesus. Awww man,” he wiped his tears and shook his head. “Oh, wheww. Okay. Okay, I think I’m good.”    
  
“I’m never gonna be able to look at glitter the same again,” Alfredo mumbled, smile pulling at his lips. “Oh, holy shit. That was good.”    
  
Trevor just nodded and let out a long breath, shaking his head a bit. “Woof. Okay, my stomach hurts from that.”    
  
“Mine too. I think I’ve got abs on my abs,”    
  
“That’d be a sight to see,” Trevor said with a grin before he stood and unplugged his computer from the HDMI. “Okay, okay. Now that we’ve got that settled. You wanna play some games?”    
  
Alfredo just nodded and accepted the controller. “Siege?”    
  
“Fine, but only for a bit then we do something fun, like Minecraft.”    
  
“Okay Mr. Skeptic. Seige is fun. You’ve just never given it a chance cause you don’t like tactical shooters.”    
  
“I mean,” Trevor gave a little shrug. “You’re not wrong.” he turned on his laptop and grabbed the two controllers before he plopped back on the couch. “Teach me your ways, oh Wise One,”    
  
Alfredo just rolled his eyes and loaded up his own log in, then pulled up Siege, and Trevor, as he suspected, was good at the game once he got into it. It wasn’t too long before they switched to Minecraft. And Alfredo couldn’t stop near childlike curiosity about everything, which was endearing and amusing for Trevor, though he very quickly learned letting Alfredo wander off lead to him running screeching from some monster or another as soon as they hit the Nether before he realized he could hit things back. It was a good way to spend the morning and then a good portion of the afternoon. They got up and went out to the store to go grocery shopping, opting to walk to the store rather than drive if only to stretch their legs. When they got back and Alfredo had started on lunch, Meg, Lindsay and Michael signed onto their own systems and Trevor started a server, with a little help from Alfredo, and they started a mass game. It was fun, and Alfredo nearly laughed himself sick at the others antics, as well as their reactions to his own mischief. It was a good way to spend the day.    
  
When Alfredo finally left, he resolved to talk to Geoff at the New Years Eve party about staying in the crew longer. It had been offered to him, after the Christmas Heist, in the form of an invitation to their actual party, to which he’d gone. It had been a good time, if loud, and Alfredo had pulled Geoff aside to tell him he’d think about it. That had been four days ago. He let out a long breath and watched it curl and waver like smoke, even in the garage. He pulled his helmet over his head and smiled to himself as he made his way out onto the street.

‘ _ I could get used to having all of them around for so much longer. _ ’   


_-_-_-_

Alfredo spent the days leading to the New Years Eve party stress cleaning as he wrestled with an idea. He cleaned his apartment top to bottom, did his laundry, everything from his clothes to his bedsheets and comforter, and then tossed out his old scrub shoes and bought himself a new pair from Amazion. His gun and knife collection gleamed, his kitchen was spotless, his fridge became full stocked and he even cleaned his makeup brushes.   


By the time the New Years party actually rolled around, he was standing in the middle of his living room, fiddling with the scarf Jack had given him for Christmas, having drawn him for secret santa. It was warm, and incredibly soft, red and white like his leather jacket. He'd gotten her in return, and after a few helpful hints from Michael and Lindsay, he'd gotten her a book on architecture. Alfredo barely resisted the urge to start pacing as his phone vibrated.   


**Meg:**

_ Hey! We taking you to the New Years Eve party? We're out at the curb, you coming down? _

**Me:**

_ No, but thanks. I'll try and make it. _

**Meg:**

_ Ohhh really? ;) _

**Me:**

_ Get your winky face outta here. Theres no need for the winky face. _

**Meg:**

_ That you're denying it says otherwise. Have fun! Lol _

**Me:**

_ Why are we friends? _

Meg didn't respond and Alfredo shook his head and snorted softly, but he couldn't help his smile. That conversation has helped settle his nerves, though he still jumped as a loud knock came at his door. Letting out a long breath, Alfredo ran a hand through his hair and went the answer the door, feeling his breath catch for a moment.   


Jeremy looked good; brown leather jacket that was lined with thick black fur, sunglasses on his head. A simple black shirt stretched across his chest, and a pair of dark blue jeans that weren't quite skinny jeans. Jeremy was staring back at him as well, mouth open, dark brown eyes bright. Alfredo shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his neck.   


"What? Something on my face?"   


"No, just," he cleared his throat. "Just nice, to see you without any masks, and you know, going to a party at the penthouse at the same time."

Alfredo barely resisted the urge to rub his bare face, glamour still firmly in place. The shyer part of him hoped they didn't make a big deal out of it and instead just went along with it like nothing was different. Given that Michael had given him a silent cheers before returning to his conversation with Meg, and then a quiet thanks for fixing his leg back in November, the others had followed his lead and didn't make too big a deal. Though he did feel their eyes on him for a bit, it was never blatant staring.   


"Are we ready?" Alfredo asked, clearing his throat and making Jeremy jolt, like he'd been lost in thought.

"Y-Yeah, we're good buddy," Jeremy flashed a smile and Alfredo turned off his hall light and stepped out, locking the door behind him. "You look really good, Fredo,"

"You don't look so bad yourself," he smirked, slipping his hand into Jeremy's. He smiled as Jeremy tightened his hold, placing their fingers together. "Who knew you actually had a sense of style underneath all that purple and orange?"

"Oh, fuck you! Those colors look great together!" Jeremy retorted.

Alfredo looked down, mildly worried, before he realized Jeremy was trying not to laugh. He squeezed their hands and just shook his head, sighing. A comfortable silence fell over them and even when they reached the elevator, neither man let go of their joined hands. They stood, pressed side to side, and watched in silence as the numbers ticked down to the ground floor. When they left, they were still holding hands, and Alfredo found that he wasn’t bothered by it at all. The heavy weight of Jeremy’s hand in his own was comforting, though not familiar, and was cooler that Alfredo had expected, though not as cold as Geoff could get. It was nice. He found himself smiling and giggled when Jeremy nudged him a bit.   
  
“What’s with that look?” Jeremy asked, a smile pulling at his lips.    
  
“Just, this is nice,” he squeezed Jeremy’s hand. “You, and Gav. It’s nice.”    
  
Jeremy beamed and squeezed his hand, before letting go and pushing him forward. “Well, you got someone waiting for you,”    
  
“Hello there, love,” Gavin said, catching Alfredo as he tried to keep from tripping over his own two feet. “You look great,”    
  
Alfredo gave a shy smile and looked Gavin up and down best he could, standing as close as he was to him. Gone was his usual Golden Boy get up, but not completely casual either. He had a nice leather jacket that was just a little too big for him, and it jolted Alfredo to realize that it was  _ his.  _ Underneath that was a nice polo and tight black skinny jeans and a pair of bright salmon pink converse.   
  
“Is that my leather riding jacket?” he managed to get out, eyebrow raised.    
  
“Well, you didn’t say I had to give it back after we went riding, did you Alfredo?” Gavin said with a grin. “You never said I couldn’t keep it,”    
  
Alfredo took a step back and made an exasperated noise, shaking his head. “Why are you like this?”    
  
Gavin just laughed and Jeremy finally joined them.    
  
“Gav, what have I said about stealing from people?”    
  
“Literally nothing, J, your argument is usually why we should take  _ more _ ,” Gavin smirked.    
  
Jeremy opened his mouth, about to retort before he stopped and gave a little shrug. “Okay, yeah, fair. But still, you should give Alfredo his jacket back at some point.”    
  
“Or,” Alfredo grinned a little too sharply, feeling something curl in the pit of his stomach as both men looked at him in surprise. “He could keep it. You look good, wearing my jacket. Would look better off, but,” he gave a little shrug and trailed off, humming. “Anyways,” he clapped his hands before either man could fully process what he’d just said. “Shall we? I don’t wanna have to deal with Geoff’s bitching.” before he was sliding into the back seat of the inconspicuous dark blue Lexus, smirking to himself.    
  
He could hear muffled voices as he shut the door, or started to. Gavin caught the door and poked his head in. For a moment, Alfredo felt like the other man was going to just slide in next to him. Instead, Gavin paused and tapped at the top of the door, frame blocking only part of the doorway, leaving room for Alfredo to see the street and move back out if he wanted.    
  
“Do you mind if I sit next to you, Fredo?”    
  
Alfredo just shuffled over and smiled. “Come on,”    
  
Gavin beamed and slid in smoothly, buckling his seat belt with a look from Alfredo. Gavin rolled his eyes as Jeremy got into the drivers seat, the shorter man smirking at Alfredo in the rearview mirror.    
  
“He’s just bitchy cause I’m not letting him drive.”    
  
“I drove over here-!”    
  
“Yeah, but it’s not a street race to get to the damn party, Gav!” Jeremy retorted, laughing. “Jesus. Plus, you don’t even have your license, can you imagine the shit we’d have to deal with if we got pulled over cause you decided to do something stupid? You don’t exactly look like the Golden Boy, babe, and if you don’t look like the Golden Boy then the cops don’t give a shit. To them you’re just some British otter who’s breaking the law. And I’ve got a spotless record.”    
  
“Cause you either kill the cops or are boring and go the speed limit-!”    
  
“Only you,” Alfredo mumbled, shaking his head. “Save the speeding for a night where I don’t have flashbacks to ER shifts from hell, Gav.”    
  
Gavin and Jeremy both paused, sharing a look.    
  
“What?” Alfredo asked, eyebrows rising as Jeremy pulled away from the curb.    
  
“Alfredo, have you never been to a New Years Eve party, Alfredo?”   


He shook his head and gave a little shrug. “Nope. School was first priority. I went in for my Associates in Nursing, and then my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Then, you know, I had a death wish and got my Masters. I  _ had _ a job but I also had to pass the fucking NCLEX and just,” he shuddered. “Some of those people I’d gladly have stabbed.”    
  
“Wait, you had your Associates by, what, nineteen?!” Gavin squawked.    
  
Alfredo nodded. “Yeah. Takes about a year and a half. Entered shortly after I graduated high school. Then, because of the associate's degree, it took another year and a half for me to complete my Bachelors and finished by the time I was twenty-one. The Master’s what took the longest. That took me two, almost three years cause I specialised in magical care. That was fun. The NCLEX was a whole other beast, but that took only a month or so to study for. And bam, twenty-five, I’m working at the ER and worked there for five years. In between all that, I met Trevor when I started moonlighting as the Sauce cause I needed extra money, and then through him I met Lindsay and Meg,” he gave a little shrug. “Rest is history.”   


Jeremy whistled lowly, looking at Alfredo appreciatively. “Damn Fredo. That’s nothing to sneeze at.”    
  
Alfredo rubbed the back of his head and gave another smile. “I mean, I worked hard. Sucks that I was fired and can’t find legal work ever again.”    
  
“Wait, what?” Gavin demanded, looking confused. “Whatchu mean, can’t find legal work?”    
  
“All the ER’s and hospitals are interconnected in LS and I was let go due to “budget cuts” and the fact that I skimmed supplies to keep my friends from fucking dying on me. Asshole was just getting rid of the magic reliant workers. And, even with a master’s and being a registered nurse, and the supposedly limitless opportunities open to me, no one’s gonna hire me. Trust me. I searched all over LS. Either it was because I was a Changeling and they just didn’t think magical creatures were a good fit, which is bullshit since I know they had were’s working there and those fuckers are magic through and through. Or, they said I was overqualified. And no one in their right mind is coming to LS for a medical degree.” he snorted. “So, by stripping my resume to the most bare minimum requirements, I managed to get a job at the ER. So what if I skimmed supplies? The humans did too.” he rubbed his temples and let out an explosive sigh. “Sorry, just… Still a sensitive subject.”    


Gavin put a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled when Alfredo looked at him from the corner of his eye.    
  
“They don’t know what they’ve lost, Alfredo,”    
  
“For real, buddy,” Jeremy added. “And I mean, at least you don’t have to worry about them anymore. You’re free, and you’re making a bigger impact on the city, if you think about it.”    
  
Alfredo smirked. “What, by being the Sauce more and striking terror into the hearts of everyone who hears my name? You know there’s more than one rumor going around that I’m soulless,”    
  
“Like you don’t play that up to its fullest extent,”    
  
“Not wrong. But, enough on that,” Alfredo shifted the topic away quickly, feeling a little raw. “What the hell do you do at a New Years Eve party? The one I managed to have with Trevor, Lindsay and Meg, like two years ago, was us sitting around playing video games and drinking champagne. Or, sparking apple cider in my case.”    


“Well, it’s about the same as the Christmas party,” Jeremy started, thoughtful. “Geoff quit drinking about three years ago now, so we have a dry party filled with sparkling apple cider and grape juice, which is actually pretty good. And then, obviously soda. We decided against having alcohol this year, even a small amount.”    
  
“It’s less cause Geoff’s worried about going into relapse,” Gavin explained. “But more that he and Jack just don’t want to have to cart our drunk asses to bed, or out of the penthouse. And well, it’s always a bitch trying to coordinate who’s going to be DD. We have our bev nights though, and we go and drink ourselves silly there,” he giggled. “You gotta come out with us one of those nights, Fredo, it’ll be so much fun.”    
  
“What, watching you two get plastered? No, thanks,”    
  
“Awww, you don’t like to dance?” Gavin asked with a slow grin that made heat curl in the pit of Alfredo’s stomach. “You seem like you’d be good at it, all hip and sway. Don’t take much talent, and it’s always fun to learn,”    
  
Alfredo swallowed reflexively and it took everything he had to keep his voice steady. “Never been one for a crowd.”    
  
Gavin pouted but brightened as Jeremy said,    
  
“Well good then. Clubs are loud as fuck and take all the fun away,”    
  
“What kind of fun are you implying there Jeremy?” Alfredo asked, voice dropping just a little and he bit back a smirk as Jeremy met his eyes for a moment in the rearview mirror, the other man’s eyes nearly black.    
  
“Whatever kind you wanna think I’m implying,” he said, almost smooth.    
  
Before Alfredo, or Gavin, could say anything more to that, Jeremy was pulling into the garage of the penthouse. Alfredo let himself out the minute Jeremy parked, taking a deep breath and fighting down his low simmering arousal. He did actually want to go up and mingle, if only for a few minutes before he wound up dragging Jeremy and Gavin off to a corner.   


‘ _ Or maybe their room. They do like, live here. _ ’    
  
“You good Fredo?” Gavin asked, just a little bit behind him.    
  
“Hmnn? O-oh, yeah,” he cleared his throat. “Just fine. So, shall we go up?”    
  
Jeremy joined them, the heat gone from his eyes and instead replaced with worry. Alfredo gave them a smile and relaxed.    
  
“What’s with you two?”    
  
Gavin looked him up and down then grinned and looped his arm through Alfredo’s. “Nothing love. Let’s get going.”    
  
Jeremy still looked worried but moved so he was in front of them, leading the way to the elevator and hitting the call button. The doors opened quickly and Alfredo pressed himself against Gavin as the numbers slowly ticked upward.    
  
“How do you think everyone’ll react?” Gavin asked, smirk pulling at his lips and arm tightening around Alfredo’s. “God I can’t wait to see Turney’s face.”    
  
“Meg?”    
  
“Oooh yeah,” Jeremy grinned, all teeth and amusement. “She texted Gav earlier to see if he could get you out of the apartment and he said he’d try something.”    
  
“Suddenly so much makes sense,” Alfredo muttered.    
  
“Hmn? What’s that love?”    
  
Alfredo just waved his free hand and gave a little, amused smile. “Don’t worry bout it, Gav. Anyways, what was the thing you were gonna try? I’m guessing some major concocted plan that was ruined by me just agreeing to come out with you two on this date?”    
  
“Oh no, Alfredo, that’s something else entirely. No, I just sent Jeremy up. Cause you two are Battle Buddies and I figure, if no one else can get you out, then threatening to set girl on you will get you moving.”    
  
“Gir-Oh, Meg. Right, the nicknames that aren’t really nicknames.” he struggled not to smile as Gavin squawked and pushed him, sending him into Jeremy, who linked their hands together as Alfredo laughed. “Aww, come on, Gav,”    
  
Gavin huffed and shook his head. “Puppy eyes don’t work, Fredo.” though he did siddle close and press against his side as the doors opened.    
  
Alfredo made it out into the hall before stopping, staring at the door at the end of the short hall. There were so many people already that the noise filtered out like they were inside the room. Jeremy stopped with him, thumb rubbing soft circles at his knuckles, Gavin taking a few steps before he turned and paused.    
  
“We can just leave you know,” Jeremy said quietly. “Right now, or if it gets too loud. Don’t have to go out on the porch or the roof. Just say the word and I’ll drive you home while Gavin runs a distraction.”    
  
“What, is this suddenly a heist?” Alfredo tried for teasing and wound up closer to shaking snaps in his voice.    
  
Gavin looked completely serious as he nodded. “Bloody well treat it like one if we have to. You want me to make a fool of myself to keep everyone from asking where you’re going? I’ll do it in a godsdamn heartbeat. You want us to sit with you outside? Done. You want to leave right now? I’ll text Geoff you weren’t feeling well and make something up. Your comfort here is what’s important Alfredo, jesus. You may be a scary bloke but you’re our friend.”    
  
“Thanks,” he mumbled, touched. “I,” he took a deep breath. “I think I’ll be okay. Just, gotta get to the door,”    
  
Jeremy tightened his hold on his hand as Gavin nodded with a warm smile, the whole space feeling warmer.    
  
“Alright, Alfredo.” he turned back around and lead the way to the door, pushing it open with a loud shout of, “Eyy, what’s up bitch?”    
  
“Why must you always start with a curse when you greet people?” Sarah. She sounded exasperated.    
  
“Cause it’s fuckin fun, Sarah!” Gavin laughed, still in the doorway, half blocking Alfredo and Jeremy from view.    
  
“Animal, I swear to god,”    
  
Alfredo took a deep breath as he stepped up just behind Gavin and said, “Oh, I don’t know. I find it a little endearing,”    
  
Immediately, he was met with a sensory bombardment. The whole main room had been decked out with more garish tinsel, and the tree that they’d had for Christmas was still up, though sans ornaments. Twinkling lights were strung amongst the branches, giving it a much more understated appearance, and the strings of lights seemed to flow throughout the room, though those were more magical in nature. Geoff, Sarah and Trevor were standing by the couch, glasses of sparkling apple cider in hand, Geoff looked amusedly exasperated and Trevor was laughing as Sarah rolled her eyes. Jack was talking with Steffie, Fiona and Matt, and Lindsay, Meg and Michael were nowhere to be seen. Alfredo could hear more people talking and a part of him assumed that the rest of the support, B Team as they were known, was somewhere else. Probably the heads of the Roosters as well, if not more of their members. He hoped Chad was there; he was a good guy and they got along like two peas in a pod.    
  
Alfredo was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of Jeremy’s laughter, something Geoff must have said from the way Gavin was grinning and Sarah was throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. He just chuckled and let Jeremy pull him into the room. He wasn’t sure what happened next; one moment he was with Gavin and Jeremy, and the next he was laughing with Sarah and Trevor, his friend throwing an arm around his shoulders and hauling him close to murmur,    
  
“Proud of you, Fredo,”    
  
“Thanks,” he mumbled.    
  
“Gotta say, Alfredo,” Sarah said after a beat, and hearing his name come from someone not his soulmates or one of his friends sent a rush of something like joy and fear down his spine. “I’m really glad you’re here. I know I come across as intense, but, you’re a good guy, underneath the gruff mask. I’m glad you’re in the crew.”    
  
Alfredo blinked several times in surprise, lowering his drink to give Sarah a small nod. “Thanks, Sarah, that, well that certainly means something.”    
  
Sarah waved off the words. “You’ve spent too much time with Jeremy. I’m off to find my lady. You two have fun,”    
  
And like that, he was gone.    
  
“She always like that?”    
  
“Nope,” Trevor said brightly. “Usually she’s worse.”    
  
Alfredo tried not to choke on his laughter, or his soda, and excused himself to go to the kitchen to get a paper towel. He practically ran into Geoff on the way there, the bearded man taking one look at him and shaking his head.    
  
“Sarah,” was all he said and Alfredo gave a small nod, hand covering his mouth and nose. “Come on then,” and lead Alfredo to the kitchen.    
  
It was blissfully empty of people, as they seemed to come from the woodwork the moment Alfredo wasn’t looking. Geoff handed him a paper towel to blow his nose and get the odd but uncomfortable sensation of nothing yet something out of his nose. As he was washing his hands, used towel tossed in the trash under the sink, Geoff leaned up against the counter and stared at him.    
  
“Hmmn?”    
  
“How’re you?”    
  
“Odd question to start with,” Alfredo said, feeling coy. “But I’m good,” he dried his hands on a dish towel.    
  
“Dick of christ, you’re worse than Jeremy and Michael stuck together,” Geoff groaned, tipping his head back and lightly thudding it against the wall cabinet. “I mean, how’s the party treating you? Noticed you’ve got different colored eyes,”    
  
“Well, I figure if I’m going to be in the crew full time, I may as well get y’all used to me, shouldn’t I?”    
  
Alfredo nearly laughed at the way Geoff’s eyes went comically wide, the vampire’s mouth dropping open. He gaped, not unlike a fish, for several minutes before he managed to pull himself together with a strangled noise.    
  
“Careful there, old man. I am a registered nurse so, if you end up needing CPR I’ve got you covered. Actually, would that even work for you, being a vamp and all? I know your heart still beats, just real slow like,”    
  
Geoff flipped him off and Alfredo chuckled, leaning one hip against the counter, lips curling up in amusement.    
  
“Yeah?”    
  
“You’re serious about this? You’re going to stay?”    
  
Alfredo tempered his amusement and nodded. “Yeah, I am. I’m starting to like you guys, shockingly, and I think I could really come to tolerate you lot.” When Geoff chuckled, Alfredo grinned. “On a serious note, yes, Geoff. I want to stick around. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and, well,” he fought the urge to fidget. “I think it’d be nice to be around more than a few hours a week. And before you ask, this isn’t just cause Gavin and Lil J are my soulmates. That’s secondary.”    
  
“Good,” Geoff rolled his neck and sighed as it popped like popcorn kernels. “I don’t think I need to tell you that if you hurt either of them that you’ll have the full force of the Fakes coming down on your head? Gavin especially. He maybe a little shit but he’s like a son to me, and I swear I’ll kick your ass to next century should you hurt him.”    
  
“I swear,” Alfredo promised softly. “They’re good to me, good for me. I don’t want to lose that either.”    
  
Geoff relaxed almost immediately and nodded. “Good. That goes for you as well, just so you know.” At Alfredo’s mostly blank look, Geoff explained, “If they, or anyone else really, needs their asses kicked, you just let me know.”

Alfredo chuckled and nodded, his shoulders relaxing. “Will do.” he looked out into the main room and rolled his neck. “Well, guess there’s nothing for it but to go out and mingle huh?”    
  
Geoff laughed, high pitched and infectious. “No, nothing for it. I’ll be around if you need me.”    
  
Alfredo nodded and left the relative safety of the kitchen. The hours passed by like nothing, and he found himself retreating only once to the kitchen for some air before he rejoined the fray. The whole time, Meg and Lindsay kept shooting him little thumbs up and grins that should have made him far more worried than they did. He forced himself to ignore them and instead keep his attention of Gavin and Jeremy, who traded off who stuck at his side and who went off and mingled with the rest of the guests. Alfredo smiled to himself as he stared out over the city, breath curling in soft grey wisps. It was nearly midnight, and though he could see the twinkling lights and very distantly the occasional body moving past those lights, he couldn’t hear anything but the sound of his crew inside, talking and laughing amongst themselves. It had been a good night.    
  
He looked over his shoulder and smiled when Jeremy knocked on the glass.    
  
“Mind if I join you?”    
  
Wordless, Alfredo shifted and made room on the railing, though there was more than enough. The balcony seemed to wrap around almost the entire penthouse, and it still boggled his mind that Geoff and Jack had such a feature on the penthouse. Jeremy smiled and joined him, warm against his side by proximity of the chill in the air. They stood there for a few moments, just basking in the ease of each other, breathing slow and steady. Alfredo shivered at a sudden gust of wind and silently left the railing for one of the shockingly comfortable thick wooden chairs, cushions laid out on them and blankets draped over the backs for some reason or another.   
  
“Hey, Jeremy,” Alfredo asked as Jeremy watched him from the balcony. “Come here?”    
  
Jeremy’s eyebrows started to rise but he complied.   
  
“Sure can,” he stopped just in front of Alfredo, still giving him space.    
  
“Closer,” Alfredo said, staring up at Jeremy and feeling his heart skip a beat as he watched Jeremy lick his lips and nod, stepping closer. Alfredo rolled his eyes and reached out, grabbing Jeremy at the hips and hauling him so he stood between his legs. “A little better,”    
  
“Really?” Jeremy asked, breathless, grinning, laughter in his kind brown eyes. “Can I get closer?”    
  
Alfredo nodded, squeezing at his hips and Jeremy straddled him with ease, like he’d done it a hundred times. Careful, watching Alfredo, Jeremy lifted his hands and ran them up his sides, then up to his shoulders until he was bare inches away, their noses brushing with every other breath, their breaths mixing like steam. Eyes flicked down to lips and Jeremy swallowed reflexively.    
  
“Alfredo,” his voice was soft, almost a whimper. “Fuck, please, tell me,”    
  
“If you don’t kiss me right now,” Alfredo started, a growl building in his throat before Jeremy was tilting his head and kissing him, cutting him off.    
  
Alfredo moaned, eyes shutting immediately as he melted into the kiss. It was cool and slow, like the push and pull of an ocean. Jeremy kissed like he was testing the waters, like something was just underneath the surface but even that felt like an exchange. He took and he gave, and it left Alfredo breathless even from a chaste kiss. Jeremy pulled away with a sharp, ragged inhale, iris’ almost black and it took Alfredo a moment to realize that it wasn’t his pupils that had blown out. That was something else. He didn’t give himself time to think about it as he shifted one hand from Jeremy’s hip to the back of his head and hauled him back in for a kiss. Jeremy went easily, a low, rough noise bubbling out of him as he tilted his head and swiped his tongue at Alfredo’s bottom lip. Alfredo let him in with no hesitation, moaning as the kiss grew deeper, more heated. He lost track of how many kisses they traded, when Jeremy rolled his hips down and Alfredo jolted, tearing away for a breath and Jeremy just chuckled. He trailed his lips down Alfredo’s cheek and instead nipped at his jaw and licked at his pulse point, shoving the scarf off and around his shoulders.    
  
“Fuck, yeah,” Alfredo panted, eyes half open as Jeremy paused, asking wordlessly, teeth scraping over the soft, tender skin. “Come on, mark m-Hmmnnnn-!” he bit his lip to keep from moaning aloud as Jeremy bit down.    
  
He could feel Jeremy’s soft groan buzz against his skin, teeth worrying at the soft skin. He pulled off, only to lave his tongue at the mark and kiss it, rumbling,    
  
“God you look so good, Fredo. Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you?”    
  
“Why-Why aren’t you then?” he rasped. “Come on, oh fuccckkk,” he groaned, tilting his head to the side as the other man bit down again, in a different spot than before, harder and sure to leave another bruise.    
  
Jeremy pulled away much sooner than Alfredo would have liked but it was just to draw him back into an intense kiss that stole the whines from his chest and left him breathless and wanting, hands grasping at Jeremy’s hips, his shirt, his jacket, the back of his head. Jeremy gave as good at he got; winding a careful hand into Alfredo’s hair and when he reached back to press Jeremy’s hand into a fist and felt the man tug, let out a low groan.    
  
“God, you sound amazing, Alfredo, fuck,” burst from him, against Alfredo’s skin as Jeremy worked on alternating between kissing him senseless and giving him a necklace of bruises.    
  
“Looks pretty great too,” came a voice that had Alfredo stiffening, half gone from the haze of a low burning arousal in the base of his spine. “Easy loves, it’s just me,”    
  
Alfredo blinked his eyes open and tilted his head back with a dopey grin. “Hey,” he breathed.    
  
Gavin was leaning against the wall by the now closed door, and a part of Alfredo was disconcerted that he hadn’t heard or seen the man, the rest of him couldn’t care less. Jeremy made a soft noise that Gavin echoed, sashaying closer. Long fingers traced at the bruises that dotted Alfredo’s neck and he shivered.    
  
“Bloody hell, you’re gorgeous,” Gavin breathed, circle of gold around his iris seeming to encroach around the green. “How did we get so lucky?”    
  
“Don’t know,” Alfredo gasped as Jeremy gave him a cheeky nip on the side of his neck on a slowly forming bruise. “Don’t really care. Fucking get over here and kiss me,”    
  
“Ohh, best thing I’ve heard all night,” Gavin said with a slow smile.    
  
There was a little shifting as Jeremy moved his weight, making it easier for Gavin to perch on the arm of the chair and lean over him as Alfredo tilted his head back. Gavin’s hands threaded through his hair as Jeremy’s shifted to run along his sides, pressing just lightly but he could feel the strength there. His whine was silenced by Gavin’s lips on his and he groaned, shutting his eyes once more. Where Jeremy’s lips were cool and his kisses slow, Gavin was hot, almost burning, but he was quick and methodical, pulling Alfredo apart with a few deep, long kisses, hands tugging now and again at his hair. It was always just shy of too much and when his whine hitched up into pain, Gavin immediately loosened his hold and rubbed at his scalp in apology, pressing chaste kisses along his cheeks and nose, up to his forehead and then slowly kissing him once more, his beard tickling Alfredo’s skin where Jeremy’s scratched gently. Jeremy seemed content to drag his mouthful of sharp teeth along Alfredo’s neck, teasing and light, sometimes kissing, sometimes nipping and licking at the marks he’d already left. Alfredo managed to thread a hand into Gavin’s hair, the other holding near bruising onto Jeremy’s hip, grunting as Jeremy pulled Alfredo into a kiss, Gavin pulling away to kiss the necklace of red and blooming bruises that Jeremy had left.    
  
“So pretty,” Gavin mumbled, burning lips pressing chaste kisses. “Lookit you, Fredo, lovely Alfredo, so good,”    
  
Jeremy groaned as Alfredo moaned into a kiss, pulling him closer and almost shoving Gavin out of the way as they kissed. Gavin moved away with a squawk but kept his hand in Alfredo’s hair, touch gentle now, nails scraping occasionally at his scalp.    
  
“You look so good,” Jeremy breathed, chest heaving, lips barely brushing against Alfredo’s as he spoke. “Gods, how are you real? You’re so sweet and funny, and good, and fucking  _ hot _ ,” each word was puncuated with a kiss, never deep and Jeremy chuckled when Alfredo whined as he pulled away. “You want more?”    
  
“Been,” Alfredo pulled him back into another deep kiss, breathing heavily through his nose as he refused to pull away until he was nearly light headed, teeth scraping Jeremy’s lip. “Wanting to do this for weeks now. Almost had Lindsay help, hang mistletoe all over, catch you both under it.” He moved easily as Gavin tilted his head to the side, staring in the man’s nearly golden burning eyes. “Wanted this since my apartment.”    
  
Gavin ducked in to kiss him, deep and claiming and filthy. There was no finesse, just desperate need and want, Alfredo letting go of Jeremy to cling to Gavin, twisted awkwardly in his chair as he was. He could feel Jeremy shift and lean back, somehow balancing himself so he didn’t fall off and that nearly made his hips jolt upwards as he realized Jeremy was just using pure core strength to stay in his lap, even nearly tipped out of it as he was. Gavin nipped and worried his bottom lip before he pulled away and pressed sweet kisses up Alfredo’s jaw and nipped at his earlobe for a moment, which had become pointed. He blushed profusely as Gavin rubbed a thumb at his cheekbone, taking everything in.    
  
“You look bloody gorgeous,” he breathed, eyes flicking across Alfredo’s face. “Just, everything about you. So beautiful,”    
  
“Handsome with a glamour,” Jeremy agreed with a rumble. “And drop dead gorgeous without it,”    
  
Alfredo wanted to speak, deny the praise, the tips of his ears blushing a fantastic red as he gave a nervous chuckle. Sarah and Trevor chose that exact moment to slam the door open, the noise from the party suddenly rising and breaking the heated air around them. Alfredo ducked his head into Jeremy’s chest, feeling an embarrassed blush for an entirely different reason rise to his cheeks.    
  
“Wait,” Trevor started as Sarah paused, blinking rapidly as Gavin slid to block Alfredo from view. “ _ Wait, _ ”    
  
“Can you two not keep it in your pants for like, ten minutes?” Sarah sighed, sounding tired. “Is that not possible with you?”    
  
“Well ain’t my fault that you tossers didn’t knock,” Gavin snorted.    
  
“It’s the  _ balcony _ ,”    
  
“So? There’s like, a meter of balcony for you lot to use!” Gavin scowled. “You lot just killed the bloody mood too.”    
  
“ _ Wait,  _ is that Alfredo--?” Trevor started and Alfredo grumbled, burying his face in Jeremy’s chest further, snapping his glamour back into place. He could hear Trevor’s smile as he said, turning back into the penthouse,    
  
“ _ Ramsey!!  _ Pay me my fucking money, you stingy old bastard-! I told you they’d make out-!”    
  
Alfredo peeked up and around Gavin, watching Sarah smile and roll her eyes to the sky, then she looked back over to the three of them.    
  
“I’m glad you three are happy, on a serious note.” her eyes flashed silver as she added, “Don’t do anything stupid,” before she was smiling again and waving. “I’ll just, yeah. Leave you to that.” and he slipped back inside.   
  
“Did they bet on us?” Jeremy asked after a moment of silence.    
  
“Are you surprised?” Alfredo asked. “I’ve had a feeling Meg and Lindsay have had money riding on us for weeks,” he pointed to the still open door where Meg could be heard,    
  
“Pay me my fucking money, losers!”    
  
“I’ve long ago lost any sense of shame,” Alfredo added after a moment’s thought. “Meg and Lindsay’ll likely split their winnings with me, so I’ll give you a bit too.”    
  
“Knowing those idiots, they put a lot on it not happening,” Gavin snickered, turning and laying so his arms draped over Alfredo’s shoulders, the other man nuzzling into his neck. “They never bet on Lindsay unless they’re guaranteed to win.”    
  
Jeremy just laughed, leaning forward and gently sandwiching Alfredo between them. Alfredo giggled, helpless, and wrapped one arm around Jeremy’s waist, the other reaching up to rest against Gavin’s back. It was warm between them, like nothing could touch them. Alfredo closed his eyes and felt himself relax just a little. Finally, he felt his legs start to numb out and gently pushed Jeremy up, openly oogling him as he stretched.    
  
“What? See something you like?” Jeremy asked with a coy grin.

“If I say yes, can I get another kiss?” Alfredo asked, smiling.    
  
Jeremy laughed and poked Alfredo in the chest. “You’re bad as Gav, I swear you are.”    
  
“You love me though,” Gavin simpered, giggling.    
  
“For some ungodly reason, yeah,” Jeremy huffed, then he turned serious. “Fredo, what’re you thinking? I mean, moving forward from this?” When he just looked confused, Jeremy continued, “I mean like, PDA around the crew. Gav and I are pretty open, but that’s cause we’ve been together for three years. I know you’ve got a thing about touch, and I don’t want to push anything. Kissing you is like, fucking  _ awesome,  _ don’t get me wrong,”    
  
“But,” Gavin picked up, seeing where Jeremy had been going. “If you have limits on something, we should hash it out now. These things only work when you talk.”    
  
“A lesson you had to learn, I’m assuming?” Alfredo guessed, humming as Jeremy rubbed the back of his head and Gavin shifted his weight. He pulled his hair into a ponytail and played with it for a moment before letting out a long breath. “Look. If Sarah and Trevor hadn’t so utterly killed the mood, I’d have been sucking you off several minutes ago. I don’t know how to define what I feel for you both, but it’s… Stronger than anything I’ve felt in a long ass time. The last person that wasn’t a fling was Trevor, and that was years ago now. We lasted for like six months, friends with benefits, and then broke it off,” he trailed off with a shrug. “I was near dead and kissed him, he saved my life. He’s a good guy who’s also stupidly attractive.”   


“Not wrong there,” Jeremy nodded in agreement, though the heat barely seemed to have left his gaze.    
  
“Okay, so… Just take it day by day?” Gavin offered, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “See how it all goes?”    
  
Alfredo gave a nod. “Yeah. And I mean, I’m okay with cuddling, you know, when we’re around the crew, or kissing, whatever, just as long as it’s not hot and heavy,”    
  
“Embarrassed easily?” Gavin asked with a smirk and Alfredo gave a slow smile.    
  
“No. More so I don’t like to share with others very much.”   


Gavin swallowed reflexively and made a low noise and Alfredo nearly jumped when Jeremy leaned back into his space, nose to nose, eyes dark and breathing heavy.    
  
“Good. Cause I really don’t wanna share the two of you either.”    
  
Alfredo gave a shallow nod, shuddering faintly, feeling like he were about to get whiplash from how fast the mood had changed. Jeremy waited, breath fanning across Alfredo’s lips and it struck him that Jeremy was waiting for him to decide if he kissed him or not. He slammed their lips together and groaned, chasing the embers of  _ something _ burning in his belly, glowing low and warm. Jeremy bit and growled, the sound low in the base of his chest, but the kisses slowly petered out until there was little else but slow and smooth, though no less deep, kisses. Jeremy pulled away first, breathing hard and gave Gavin a look. The other man just chuckled.    
  
“Oh, don’t mind me. I was just enjoying the show, wasn’t I?”    
  
Jeremy hummed and pressed one last kiss to Alfredo’s lips before pulling away entirely and kissing Gavin firmly, humming as Gavin responded. Alfredo simply tried to catch his breath as he watched the pair, move together, comfortable and easy. It was certainly a thing to watch; Jeremy held Gavin’s face with one hand, the other tangle up in his shirt as Gavin wrapped his arms around Jeremy’s neck, hauling him close enough that their legs slotted together and it seemed impossible to move away from each other. He swallowed, mouth suddenly very dry, unable to look away. Gavin was the one who pulled away first, just a little out of breath and beckoned Alfredo over. He moved like a toy on a string, half stumbling over to the pair and reaching out. They both caught him but didn’t press him between them. Instead, Gavin wrapped an arm around his waist and Jeremy splayed a hand on his chest, the pair working together to pull him in for a kiss, first Gavin, then Jeremy. When Alfredo finally pulled away, he felt near lightheaded, though Gavin and Jeremy looked incredibly pleased with themselves; lips bitten and bright red, split slick and just a little blood welling up.    
  
“We should get inside before they have more fuel,” Gavin sighed, pulling away from them both.    
  
“They’ll have ammo for weeks,” Jeremy snorted, letting his arm drop as Alfredo caught Gavin’s hand and squeezed.    
  
“Nothing can be done,” Alfredo said with a small shrug. "Shall we?”    
  
Gavin took a deep breath and nodded as Jeremy stepped neatly around them to stand in front of Alfredo, looking him up and down, eyeing his neck before he reached up and started to fiddle with his scarf.    
  
“Sorry about all the hickies,” he mumbled.    
  
Alfredo gently pushed Jeremy’s hands away, feeling a blush rise even as he said,    
  
“Leave it. If it really gets bad I can just cover them with my glamour. Besides, I like them. A lot.”    
  
“Shit,” Jeremy breathed as Gavin made a very low noise in the back of his throat. “ _ Fuck  _ I’m gonna go kill Sarah and Trevor. Or at least, Trevor.”    
  
Alfredo laughed and felt his nerves disappear. He pressed a kiss to Jeremy’s cheek. “Just don’t make a mess. An empty syringe filled with air between the big and second toe will do a good job,”    
  
Jeremy just whined and thumped his head against Alfredo’s chest, rumbling. Gavin laughed and tugged Alfredo to move with him as Alfredo wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s shoulders. Gavin’s predictions about the others teasing them didn’t ring entirely true, though the wide grins and soft needling weren’t terrible. Alfredo could only assume it was because Lindsay, Meg and Trevor had cleaned them out or because they didn’t want to piss him off too much. They still weren’t entirely used to each other, and they didn’t know the full extent of what he was personally capable of. It was almost two in the morning when Gavin finally started to yawn, lounging on Alfredo and Jeremy like they were the couch. Jeremy grunted as he picked Gavin up and looked over his shoulder at Alfredo.    
  
“Let me get him to bed and I can drive you home?”    
  
Alfredo nodded, sleepy and breathless, watching Jeremy handle Gavin like he weighed nothing, the Brit curling up against Jeremy’s chest and sighing in contentment. He looked around the almost empty penthouse with a small smile; Geoff and Jack he could hear in the kitchen, and Michael was dead asleep with his head on Meg’s shoulder, Lindsay laying against his chest. Trevor, Fiona and Matt were quietly talking together and they, along with Sarah, were getting their own things together, about to step out. They gave him cheery waves goodbye and he smiled, nodding in return. Chad plopped down next to him suddenly, the skater dressed much the same as he had been the first time they met; jacket, band shirt and slightly torn up jeans with converse though this time he had a beanie. Chad smiled at him and nudged Alfredo’s shoulder with his own. Alfredo nudged him back, chuckling.    
  
“You look happy,” Chad murmured, eyes flashing grey-silver for a moment and Alfredo nearly jolted before he remembered the other man was a witch with a knack for reading emotions.    
  
“Yeah?”    
  
“Yeah,” he smiled. “That’s a good thing, Fredo. Jeremy and Gavin are good dudes.”    
  
“I’ll let you know. Jury may still be out.”    
  
Chad laughed and grinned. “Well regardless, seems like you had a good New Years,” he glanced at the very clear bruises dotting Alfredo’s neck.    
  
Alfredo just laughed and shook his head. “You’ve got no idea.”    
  
“That reason have to do with Trevor and Sarah hiding the last two hours from Jeremy and Gavin? I really hope they realize that like, they’re fucked. There’s no saving them now.”    
  
“Well if they make a mess I’m not helping,”    
  
Chad laughed loudly, tossing his head back as he wrapped his arms around his stomach, wheezing.    
  
“Oh god, I almost forget how much I like you.” He managed to gasp through wheezes. “God damn,”    
  
Alfredo giggled and nudged Chad’s shoulder with his own. “Damn, I was almost rid of you?”    
  
“Almost rid of who?” Jeremy asked, eyebrow raised and spinning his keyfob around one finger. “Hey Chad, how’s it man?”    
  
“Pretty good. Hope you don’t mind me stealing Alfredo at some point to catch up. It’s been forever.”    
  
“Nah, but that’s up to him.”    
  
“I don’t mind, Chad,” Alfredo said, standing and popping his back. “We should hang out. Maybe you can keep attempting to teach me to skateboard.”    
  
Chad giggled and nodded. “Yeah, sure.”    
  
Jeremy wound an arm around Alfredo’s waist as he grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch, winding the scarf around his neck once more. Meg gave a little wave goodbye and Alfredo and Jeremy waved back.    
  
“Night you two,” Jack said, standing in the doorway from the kitchen, a soft look on her face. “Drive safe.”    
  
“I always do,” Jeremy said with a smile, letting Alfredo go as he pulled his jacket back on and then wrapped his arm back around. Alfredo leaned into his side, pulling him closer with an arm around his shoulder.    
  
“Good. I’ll go and round up the others with Geoff, make sure they don’t fall asleep somewhere weird again. Have good night, and thank you for coming, Alfredo.”    
  
“It was nice, thanks for having me,” Alfredo yawned, covering his mouth. “Sorry,”    
  
Jack waved him off with a soft smile. “No, I get it. Go get some sleep.” before she was going over to the trio on the other couch, gently rousing Michael and Lindsay.    
  
“Shall we?”    
  
Alfredo nodded and walked out with Jeremy, still pressed against his side. The ride down to the garage was quiet, though the feeling of Jeremy’s thumb rubbing up and down his hip, just under his shirt, made his skin tingle. Jeremy unlocked the doors to the Lexus, smiling as he opened Alfredo’s door for him. Alfredo just shook his head but got in, and when Jeremy got in, he took the man’s free hand and laid his head back, eyes half open and smile pulling at his lips.    
  
“Thank you,” he mumbled as Jeremy started up the car. “For this,”    
  
“Of course, Fredo,” Jeremy squeezed their joined hands. “Get some sleep. I’ll wake you up when we reach your apartment.”    
  
Alfredo hummed and settled into the comfortable seat, sighing in contentment. He watched Jeremy, half awake, the lights from street lights and occasional fireworks, spilling over him and making him glow, always just for an instant. He hummed softly, thumb stroking Alfredo’s knuckles, and he never let go, just let their hands rest between them on the center console. When he pulled up to the curb, he cut the engine and just stared at Alfredo, still stroking his knuckles, sitting there. Alfredo shifted and looked at Jeremy, having half slumped down as they drove back and felt his breath catch. Jeremy was bathed in a pale yellow light from the usually flickering street lamp, the low hanging, curling fog outside the car dulled the light further and gave Jeremy a soft halo. A warm smile was on his face and he looked content to just sit there and hold Alfredo’s hand, waiting for him to wake up on his own.    
  
“Hey there,”    
  
“Hi,” Alfredo swallowed, his voice thick with sleep. “Thought you said you’d wake me up.”    
  
“Eh. Changed my mind,” Jeremy shrugged with one shoulder. “You want me to carry you up then?”    
  
He was teasing but it took Alfredo several moments to process that he was. Instead of nodding and letting Jeremy do just that, he shook his head and stretched slowly, hands still together.    
  
“I think I can make it up. Thank you, by the way, for driving me back,”    
  
Jeremy nodded, still swiping his thumb slowly over the back of Alfredo’s knuckles. He gave a low chuckle and leaned in, kissing Jeremy just once, very softly, on the lips and pulling away, just enough to Jeremy to breathe,    
  
“Wh-What was that one for?”    
  
“Hmmnn. Being you, I guess,” Alfredo murmured, brushing his lips over Jeremy’s in a slow tease. “So, thank you for that.” He squeezed their hands once more before pulling away and Jeremy let go easily. “See you in a few days, because, as great as tonight was,”    
  
“You’re just done with human interaction?”    
  
“Well, human in quotation marks, but yeah. I’ll call you and Gav if I can handle anything more than a few text messages.”    
  
“Sounds good buddy. Go get some sleep. You look like you’re about to fall over,”    
  
“Correct,” Alfredo opened the door and slipped out, waving to Jeremy one last time before the sleek black Lexus was pulling away and into traffic.    
  
He hummed to himself as he made his way back into the building, feeling giddy. He just let himself revel in the soft warmth that built in his chest, higher and higher until that was all that was left in him, sleep pulling at him. When he finally laid in bed, wrapped up in blankets and wearing Jeremy’s hoodie, he smiled to himself. That little voice was fully gone, he could feel it. Maybe he’d show the others just what he looked like after all.   


‘ _ I’m sure they’ve got another bet going, _ ’ he thought as his eyes fluttered shut. ‘ _ Lindsay and all them, certainly the type. _ ’   


_-_-_

True to his word, Alfredo stayed in his apartment for two days, though less out of a direct need to recharge his socialization batteries, and more an odd soreness in his entire body. Given that he hadn’t been incredibly active, aside from the simple pushups and light weight lifting he did in his apartment, it worried him a little. He checked himself over for any signs of a curse or a spell having been laid on him, then called Meg over to see if she could sniff out any kind of iron products that may have been added to the general area. Iron didn’t exactly work on changelings the same way it did Fae; as a Changeling, he’d been raised by humans, outside the Glades and so his tolerance to iron was higher as he wasn’t pure magic, and salt in the same turn, had very little effect on him. Full out diving into the ocean would sting, maybe weaken his magic, or even his physical body should he stay submerged, but there was little chance of that. He stayed only where it washed at his shins at the deepest.   
  
Lindsay and Meg decided to come over the second day and spend the whole day with him, just to be certain nothing was wrong, though they wound up leaving around noon to go pick Michael up from a job, and bring back lunch. Alfredo found he and Michael got along fairly well. They were both into anime, videogames and reading, and when he wasn’t ramping up the energy in the room so high it broke the metaphorical dial, he was a fairly relaxed. Alfredo liked him, and he, Meg and Lindsay seemed to be working out well. It was still early, but they all got along and it wouldn’t surprise him if they did turn out steady. He reached into his pocket for his phone when the first stab of pain hit him, like an icicle to the chest. He gasped, heart skipping a beat and staggered, blinded by the sudden onslaught of pain.    
  
He dropped to his knees, one hand clutching the back of his head, the other wrapped around his ribs, breathing harsh and staccato. There was noise, from somewhere, and he could feel himself fall to his side. There was freezing cold all around him, snuffing him out, pressing against him so tight it was like his lungs would break if he took a breath. He tried anyways and nearly screamed instead as pain crept through his body. It started at the base of his skull, so cold it was hot as a brand, then it trickled down into his back until he could feel the muscles spasm with each pain filled inhale, almost like he were being tased by a lightning bolt. It traveled down to his hips and left his legs numb and tingling. He did scream then, twisting and arching in pain as it rolled through his body, tearing at his nerves and leaving him feeling frayed. Then, as sudden as it had started, it was over and he was writhing in the aftershocks, shivering as his muscles twitched and the pain registered. Alfredo let out a weak sob, struggling to push himself upwards, shakes making his arms tremble like a newborn fawn. He gritted his teeth and pulled himself upwards until he was leaning over the sink, swallowing back bile. When he felt safe to move, he took a single step and slowly put his weight on his foot. He stayed standing.    
  
He managed to stumble-shuffle out of the kitchen before finally remembering he had his phone in his hand. With trembling fingers, he managed to type out,    
  
**Me:** **  
** _ Ha lp can t seeee straiht pain bad at aptrmetn key un der matt   
_

Before he grabbed the wall and slid down, breathing harsh and thin. His head was ringing, worse than anything he’d ever felt. Alfredo fought off another dizzy spell but it was pointless. He wasn’t sure what happened next; one minute he was upright, and the next his apartment door was bursting open, frantic voices filling the space.    
  
“Alfredo?! Alfredo, where are you!!”    
  
“I’ll go and search the living room. Gavin, look in the kitchen, Jeremy, the bedroom and bathroom,”    
  
“Right,”    
  
Rapid footsteps and then a sharp inhale and sudden hands on him. He instinctively curled away, despite how he wanted to press into them.    
  
“Guys! Guys I found him!!”    
  
“Gav-?” he rasped, shifting closer to the other man. “How?”    
  
“You texted, love,” Gavin murmured, running a hand tentatively through his hair, then again when he butted into the touch, relaxing under the deft fingers.    
  
“Holy fuck, Fredo, what happened?” Jeremy now and a soft  _ tmp.  _   
  
“I-I don’t know. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever felt,” he mumbled, shakes starting to spread through his body once more. “I can’t, I don’t,”    
  
“Hey, dude, it’s okay,” Jeremy was shuffling closer, on what sounded like his knees. “Just focus on breathing. Can I pick you up? Maybe get you off the floor so you don’t get a terrible crick?”   


Alfredo opened an eye a sliver very slowly just to make sure he wouldn’t get a splitting migraine. When nothing happened, he opened his eye a little further. He was in the hall, on the floor, the hardwood reflecting dimmed light back at him. He looked up and blinked a little; Jeremy was on his knees, just a foot away from his head. He looked around a little more and spotted Jack by the doorway to the living room, hand on her mouth, eyes wide. With a low grunt, Alfredo opened both eyes and shoved himself up so his head was off the ground. Other than a dizzy spell, the shaking, and a flare up of dulled pain, there was nothing. It wasn’t the aftershocks of magic. He swallowed reflexively and tentatively reached out for Gavin, the other man holding his hand immediately.    
  
“You alright, Alfredo?” Jeremy asked quietly, consciously keeping his voice down.   
  
“I-I think so? Bit dizzy, shakes, and some spasming pain, but like, nothing other than that.”    
  
“Was there anything that prompted it?” Gavin asked, helping Alfredo sit up.    
  
“Fuck if I know,” Alfredo mumbled, tilting his head backwards. “God, I’m so dizz-Ghhgkkh,”    
  
“Alfredo?”    
  
He just shook his head a little and clenched his fists. Gavin didn’t make a sound as he clutched his hand. “Fucking  _ ow, _ ”   


“Aftershocks?” Jack asked, something odd in her voice.   
  
He grunted and they waited in tense silence for them to die down enough for Alfredo to breathe once more, tears welling up. Jeremy shuffled closer and put a hand on his side.    
  
“Okay, Alfredo, just go limp. I’m gonna pick you up and carry you to the bathroom. Lighting is best in there and we can check you over.”    
  
“Yeah, okay,” he mumbled, closing his eyes and forcing himself to breathe even as his lungs felt they were stuffed with dirt and flowers.    
  
He couldn’t even hold onto Jeremy’s shirt as the other man scooped him up carefully, his hand half limp in Gavin’s, though the blond was holding on tight enough for the both of them. He kept pace with Jeremy as Jack disappeared to do--whatever Jack was going to do. Alfredo couldn’t bring himself to care entirely. He felt utterly drained, though he smiled a little when Jeremy gave him a worried look. Gavin let go of his hand to open the bathroom door and started to put a few towels in the bathtub to act as a pillow. Jeremy lowered him slowly, careful like Alfredo would shatter if he let go for too long. Gavin perched on the lip by the wall, draping his leg in such a way that Alfredo could rest his head on Gavin’s inner thigh rather than the porcelain. Jeremy perched on the lip, pulling Alfredo’s hand up and holding on tight.   
  
“You’ve been alone here for almost forty minutes,” regret was clear in his voice. “We...Fuck, Alfredo, we thought you’d been shot or attacked from the sheer pain we were both in. It took us almost fifteen minutes to get ourselves together and make sure we hadn’t lost you. Then Jack got that text, and shit, we were so scared.”    
  
“I don’t know what that was,” Alfredo managed after a moment. “But, having you two here is helping. The pains almost gone,”    
  
That wasn’t a lie either; the near blinding pain had vanished the moment he had contact with both Gavin and Jeremy, dulling to just a faint soreness and the shakes had died to fine tremors and shivers. Gavin buried a hand in his hair, rubbing gently at his scalp as Jeremy massaged his hands, working the tension out of them. Alfredo was almost asleep when Jack knocked on the doorframe and a warning growl rose from Jeremy’s throat.    
  
“Easy, tiger, I come in peace. I just wanna check something, okay? I also have pain meds and some water.”    
  
She sounded tense and Alfredo opened his eyes half way, looking at her. In one hand she had a water bottle hanging from two fingers, the rest curled in a loose fist. In the other, she held a pair of scissors. It took him seeing the water to realize how damn thirsty he was and he immediately reached out for it, hating how his hands trembled and shook. Gavin made a soft noise, soothing him as Jeremy stood and took the water and pills, handing them over to Alfredo. He tossed the pills back and swallowed them dry, then took several gulps of water before Jack was making him slow down.    
  
“Whoa, Fredo, calm down. It’s not going anywhere and I wanna make sure that you don’t get sick.”   
  
He grumbled at the sense she made and lowered the water bottle, taking a moment to breathe. He didn’t fight Gavin when he took it and set it down by the tub. Jack put the scissors down on the sink counter, rubbing her hands on her pants leg.    
  
“Right. This next bit’s a little invasive, but, I need you to get your clothes and any glamour off. Just, anything that’s covering your soulmarks.”    
  
“...Why?” Alfredo asked, voice very small as Gavin very nearly bristled as Jeremy bared his teeth.    
  
Jack crossed her arms and set her feet. “Because I need to make sure I’m right. Alfredo, I know you’re a changeling. I knew it the day we met. The whole crew knows you’re soulmates with Gavin and Jeremy, and literally none of us care expect that you’re happy. So, shirt off and glamour down.”    
  
“Jack,” Jeremy started, anger clear in his voice, standing.    
  
“Jeremy, just,” Alfredo stopped himself and let out a long sigh. “It’s fine,” He sat up as best he could, back still protesting, and pulled his shirt up and over his head, dropping his glamour before the shirt even left his body.    
  
His ears twitched at the sharp gasp from Gavin and then the sound of air being sucked between teeth from Jeremy. Jack just made a soft noise, maybe of approval, maybe of curiosity. Alfredo wasn’t sure. He kept his eyes shut tight and tentatively reached back, half expecting his back to be bloody. Instead, it was almost hot to the touch, like he’d been sitting in front of a fire and trailing his hand down to his twitching hips, he found the skin there was just as hot. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked up. Jeremy was staring at him, eyes almost comically wide, and Jack was holding the scissors again, as well as a knife. He tilted his head back a little and was met with Gavin’s shocked expression, hand over his mouth, eyes nearly gold.    
  
“What?” He whispered, not daring to look down. “Are-Are they gone?”    
  
“No, Alfredo,” Jeremy breathed. “Just… Look down?”    
  
Blinking rapidly, Alfredo did as he was told and felt his breath catch. Curling with the flowers already at the base of the antlers were blue, pink, and white forget-me-nots, curling gracefully up half the base of each antler. He touched his back and Jack nodded.    
  
“There too.”    
  
“Wait--” Jeremy scrambled, shucking off his jacket and then his shirt and undershirt, standing bare chested as he craned his neck side to side, frantically looking for any sign of the flowers in the wings on his back.    
  
“Jeremy, stop, Jeremy, you’re gonna hurt yourself love,” Gavin said, finally speaking. “Just, turn towards us?”    
  
Jeremy swallowed but walked until he was in front of them and showed them his back slowly. Alfredo felt his breath catch again, heart stuttering. In the already beautiful feathers were the same flowers as on Alfredo, woven in like they’d always been there. They were in clusters around his shoulders, before tapering off to smaller bunches, and then bleeding into the very tips, making the wings look like a sunset. Alfredo felt Gavin shift and wriggled behind him as he pulled his own jacket and shirt off, trying hard not to dislodge Alfredo’s head, and held his hand as Gavin leaned forward over him.    
  
“They’re there too, just like Alfredo’s,” Jack’s voice was soft but filled with what seemed like pride.    
  
“I don’t,” Alfredo could feel his brain short circuiting. “What,”    
  
“Alfredo?” Gavin was squeezing his hand tight as he could. “Alfredo, love, what’s wrong?”    
  
“Breathe, Alfredo,” Jeremy said, cutting through the haze. “There’s a reason we brought Jack along, outside of her just, you know, getting the text.”    
  
Alfredo took a few shaky breaths and nodded, squeezing Gavin’s hand as Jeremy rubbed his arm. Jack waited until he seemed calm enough to kneel down on the floor, barely a foot away from the tub.    
  
“Okay. You remember how when we first met I told you I had connections to the Fae, yes?” when Alfredo gave a small nod, she smiled. “Good. Well, I’ve been doing a fair amount of my own research, and it turns out there are cases of Changelings and Fae that were born without a soulmark of their own, but it came in later in life, after having met their soulmate. Soulmarks usually appear on children shortly after they're born, so you don’t remember the pain you were in before, seeing as your body is essentially internally tattooing you. In days of yore, it was common for Changelings to be hunted down and killed, so your magic has evolved to protect you; glamour, a higher tolerance to salt and iron, among other things that would normally ground a Fae, and soulmarks. It’s rarer now, but not uncommon, for Fae and Changelings to be born without soulmarks, and for them to come in later. It’s your soul telling you that yes, your feelings towards Jeremy and Gavin were absolutely fine.”    
  
“This also doesn’t change anything,” Jeremy added, squeezing Alfredo’s arm when the man started to open his mouth, panic flashing across his face. “We would have felt the exact same way about you as we do now had your mark never appeared. It doesn’t change that we’re yours and your our’s,”    
  
“If nothing else, it just gives us more reason to show off,” Gavin cooed, petting his hair. “Most people only get one soulmark, but us? We’ve got two, and Ry’s got a third. Just means no one can ever take you from us, lovely Alfredo. We’ve got you. We’ll figure it all out together,”    
  
Alfredo took a few deep breaths and nodded, shuddering as he fought back tears. “Together,”    
  
“Together,” Jeremy leaned in and hugged him, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. “We’ve got you Alfredo. Nothing’ll hurt you, not while we’re here.”    
  
Alfredo just nodded to wrapped his quaking arms around Jeremy, leaning into the shorter man best he could. Things would have to be explained, but he had to believe they would turn out alright in the end. The dark voice in the back of his mind hadn’t returned, and for that, he was grateful. He knew he’d have to explain to Meg, Lindsay and Michael when they inevitably crashed into the apartment what had happened, and he’d have to deal with it all later, but it was fine. He had to believe it would be alright.   


And, for almost a month, they were. January passed by slowly, each day taken as it was. Alfredo kept his apartment, but he spent just as much time at the penthouse as he did at his own apartment. Meg, Lindsay and Trevor took him getting a soulmark in stride, but they were there with him when he let Jeremy cut his hair, giving him an undercut. It showed off the graceful knot of forget me nots at the base of his skull as they tapered down into the wings, a pattern much like Jeremy's own. Gavin took several pictures for him, teasing and joking, making him loosen up and laugh before too long. He also stole plenty of kisses and spent just as much time just tracing the clean lines of the soulmarks and the scars that littered Alfredo’s body, kissing each one with reverence, murmuring and cooing over him. Jeremy took him out on dates, or sometimes he and Gavin would go out, and still other times the three of them would go out together, Alfredo in the middle, arms wrapped around their shoulders and waists. Everyone in the crew took Alfredo’s new soulmark in stride and didn’t speak a word of it again unless Alfredo himself brought it up. He left his glamoured, but each day he felt more and more comfortable with them, laughing louder and teasing them in turn. Then February started. And things fell apart.   
  
Alfredo braced against the center console, glaring out the windshield as Gavin clenched his jaw and swerved around another car, speedometer only dipping below eighty as he took insane corners, drifting before he pulled the car back right. Alfredo could hear the roar of the chopper overhead, piloted by Jack, hear the din of the others screaming in his ear but he tuned them out. It had been a normal afternoon; Jeremy had gone out with Michael to meet with a supplier but that situation very quickly changed. It had been a set up; Lindsay had fallen to her knees, near crying in pain as she clutched her head, and Gavin had fallen off the couch with a cry while Alfredo writhed on the floor, bombarded with not only Gavin and Jeremy’s pain and fear, but images and voices that weren’t in the room. Jeremy had been taken, and Michael had been left as a warning. The set up had been pulled together by some small time gang that wanted to do more than make it big; they wanted to cripple the Fakes, and Ramsey’s Golden Boy. Little did they know, they were about to have the entire force of the Fakes come down on them. Alfredo let out a choked noise and forced down a sense of bile as his stomach twinged. Jeremy.    
  
‘ _ They want a villain? They’ll get a villain, _ ’    
  
“Almost there, love,” Gavin said, voice tight with dried tears.    
  
Alfredo just grunted and nodded, squeezing Gavin’s hand as the other took a hand off the wheel for a moment to take his hand.    
  
“We’ll get him,”    
  
“Y-Yeah,” Gavin nodded, breathing harsh as he pulled his hand back to take another sharp turn. “Hold on,”    
  
Alfredo spotted the pier, the warehouses, could almost smell the ocean spray. Jeremy’s laugh echoed in his ears as the mental image of him racing through surf and watching Alfredo and Gavin on the beach, waving at them. That image was replaced with Jeremy’s face twisted in a snarl as he stood over Michael as blood dripped down his nose, eyes black and teeth sharp. He inhaled sharply at a sudden sense of vertigo and from the way Gavin choked, he’d felt the same.    
  
“ _ What’s happening, boys?”  _ Geoff yelled over the comms, the sound of the chopper blades nearly deafening him.    
  
“Bad shit,” Alfredo ground out.   


“ _ Nova, Axial, Weems, and I are right behind you, Sauce, _ ” Trevor’s voice was a boon in the roiling pain that echoed through Alfredo’s head and he gave a soft grunt. “ _ Don’t do anything stupid. B-Team is there with some of the Roosters, drawing them out. Find him and get out. _ ”    
  
“No promises,” He snarled, a very small part of him wishing the smear of black he’d pulled over his eyes hadn’t run from the tears. The rest of him didn’t care, knowing he’d leave none alive to remember his face.    
  
“ _ Pier in sight. We can't get a shot off without hitting Jeremy too. ETA 2 minutes with drop off, _ ” Jack said, tersely calm. “ _ Gavin, hard right will put you on the pier,”   
_

“Copy. Hold on tight.”    
  
Alfredo braced himself and he was still thrown into the center console, the bumpy road replaced with gravel. The sound of gunshots was dim in comparison to the roar of the Zentorno, though Gavin did let up on the acceleration as he closed on the pier. Alfredo could just see muzzle flashes as the gang tried to fight back, but they were clearly overwhelmed. He scrambled out of the car before Gavin had even stopped, throwing the car into park, barely keeping his footing on the slippery dock. He scanned the area for any sign of Jeremy and felt his heart drop as he spotted four men carrying a very familiar body at the end of the pier. Only, it wasn’t the one they had parked at. It was the one that was forty feet to the left. Alfredo didn’t even think, didn’t heed Gavin’s shout, or the voices in his ear. He just ran, tearing down the pier. He sprinted even when he felt the shock of cold wash through his lungs as Jeremy was tossed into the frothing ocean. As he jumped off the edge of the pier, sailing far farther than he thought he would, salt spray splashing his face and waves just feet below him, Alfredo could have sworn he were flying.    
  
The freezing water was a shock and it took everything he had to keep pushing himself forward and not lock up. The salt stung, and a very distant part of him was screaming that he had to get out, that the salt would burn, may kill him, but he didn’t care. He clenched his jaw and with powerful kicks pushed through the water to the dim shape of Jeremy struggling against the weight tied to his ankles, bubbles escaping his nose. He looked up, eyes wide and terrified, and Alfredo kept kicking even as Jeremy hit the shallows, almost fifteen feet down. The weak light from the setting sun barely gave Alfredo enough light to see by, even with his ability to see in near dark. The salt was stinging his eyes, sapping the strength from his muscles with each pull and kick, the breath straining in his lungs, but he had eyes only for Jeremy. He heard the muffled sound of bodies hitting the water, but they didn’t fall near Jeremy so he didn’t care.    
  
Jeremy looked like hell, as Alfredo finally got close enough to see him properly. One eye was near swollen shut, and bruises were blooming on his arms and cheek. His eyes widened as he seemed to realize it was Alfredo that had been swimming towards him and started to shake his head rapidly, tugging at the thick shackles on his wrists, the metal glowing dully and a cinder block was been tied to his ankles with thick rope. Alfredo swam down and strained, feeling the sharp bite of iron slice into his fingers like an exploded Coke can. He gritted his teeth and unsheathed his talons, distantly thankful he’d skipped dulling them, holding onto Jeremy's ankles with one hand and slashed at the rope holding them together. They bit into the rope and it hurt more as he tore at it with one hand, pulling it taut as he could with the other. He could feel his strength waning, even as he took another swipe, the thick rope not built to withstand his talon-like nails. It snapped like twine after the second swipe and Alfredo immediately pushed off the bottom, grabbing Jeremy's bicep in an iron grip, hauling him up.    
  
Jeremy helped him as best he could, kicking his own half frozen legs, trying to get them both up. Alfredo could feel his lungs straining, struggling to keep what little air he had left in him and not let go. Even with the weight gone and Jeremy trying to help him kick upward, it was still a struggle to fight the undertow that battered them, pushing and pulling, threatening to rip them apart. Alfredo dug his claws in, feeling them pierce skin, but Jeremy didn’t even seem to notice, too focused on getting to the surface. Alfredo nearly lost his grip as an undertow ripped at them, and then several things happened at once. The last of his air escaped him in one breath, the wave punching it out of him. Jeremy started frantically kicking for the surface, trying to haul both his own weight and Alfredo’s against the waves as a dark shape approached them, cutting through the water like a bullet. Alfredo could barely see straight but the relief that shot through Jeremy was like a sucker punch.    
  
It still didn’t prepare him to see a seal swim up and somehow loop Jeremy’s arms over its head, around its neck. Alfredo barely managed to hang onto Jeremy's arm as the seal swam the last few feet to the surface. When his head broke free, Alfredo felt strong hands grabbing him, hauling him off of Jeremy and he was too cold to protest, shaking violently as he threw up the water that had made it into his body. Burning hot arms wrapped around him, hauling him backwards so his back was pressed to a burning hot chest, warmth seeming to encase him. A nimble, too hot hand buried itself in his hair as he shook and wheezed for air, spitting and hacking, lips tingling.    
  
“Shhh, it’s okay, lovely Alfredo, I’ve got you, it’s okay. J’s safe, he’s just fine, I swear, it’s okay,”    
  
Gavin’s voice finally started to filter through the waterlogged heaviness filling Alfredo’s head. Another hand touched his shoulder and he flinched, then tensed, a strangled screech ripping out of his chest as a flash of magic rushed through him like adrenaline. Gavin’s arms tightened around him before he finally relaxed, breathing easier and no longer wet. Alfredo blinked several times, the sting of tears burning his eyes, but he tipped his head back and he could see Gavin, and golden-orange yellow all around him. He shook his head and blinked several times more, disbelieving of the sight, but when he looked again, they were still there. Massive wings, almost cocooning them both, heating the space between them to the point that Alfredo was sure his clothes were steaming. He gave his previously frozen fingers a wriggle and found they responded with nothing more than a hint of soreness.    
  
“Hey there, lovely, brave, Alfredo,” Gavin murmured, nosing at his temple. “Jesus Christ, you scared me.”    
  
“Je-Jeremy?” he rasped, throat not quite working.    
  
“He’s just fine, love. Sleep. Sarah did a number on you. We’ll talk later, Fredo.”    
  
Alfredo wanted to argue, wanted to demand to see Jeremy, but the gentle warmth and strong arms wrapped around him pulled him towards sleep faster than he could fight it. His eyes fluttered shut, the last thing he saw nothing but golden-orange yellow.    
  
Alfredo woke up slowly, thoughts hazy and body relaxed. He could feel familiar weight on either side of him, and then something a little less familiar draped over his chest. Alfredo blinked, shifting slightly as he looked around; Jeremy was on his left, scrolling through his phone, shirtless and in a pair of Alfredo’s sweats, his Sauce jacket around his shoulders like a blanket. The faint, old white scars from his top surgery were slowly starting to get covered by his growing chest hair, Alfredo noticed idly. He looked to the right and found Gavin, arm resting over his chest, his hand holding Jeremy’s over Alfredo’s chest. That was familiar. What was unfamiliar was the massive, half folded wing that rested on his chest and spanned over to Jeremy’s legs. It was soft and warm, almost too hot to touch, but Alfredo noticed that second, still trying to process where the wing was coming from. His eyes traced up to Gavin’s back.    
  
“Alfredo?” Gavin mumbled, making Jeremy shift and look at him too.    
  
“Wings,” he said, staring dumbly at the massive things.   
  
Gavin blushed and shifted the massive wing that had been stretched over Alfredo and Jeremy, only to stop when Alfredo shook his head, mumbling,    
  
“Don’t, please. Just… How?”    
  
“Did we never tell you?” Jeremy asked, making Alfredo turn his head to look up at him. “Gav’s a phoenix, and I’m a selkie.”    
  
“And the wings never came out because-?”    
  
“Because they’re bloody massive,” Gavin grumbled, lifting his right wing and stretching it out.    
  
It spanned most of the room; fifteen feet if Alfredo’s guess were correct. It shimmered and glowed like an ember, the golden-orange like a sunset with what looked like streaks of purple, blue, white and pink shot through them. The wing was square, powerful and heavy looking. He felt his mouth drop and Gavin giggle-snorted, shaking his head, folding it back up. It was barley four feet across and as Gavin pressed it up against his back it seemed to disappear. He rolled his shoulder and it reappeared, unfurling slowly till it rested, folded against his back.   
  
“What?”    
  
“Magic, Fredo.” Gavin grinned. When Alfredo pouted, he smiled and pressed a kiss to his temple. “Fine. Phoenix’s aren’t as rare as people think. We’re just really good at hiding in plain sight. So, I can hide my wings with little fuss, though they get cramped if I don’t let them out now and again. Before you ask, yes, I can fly, yes, I love to, and no, I don’t carry Jeremy. He doesn’t like heights.”    
  
“Fuck off. The water’s better than the air,” Jeremy snorted, though he was more amused than upset and laid down, Alfredo’s jacket still around his shoulders. He let go of Gavin’s hand to splay a hand on Alfredo’s hip, half propping himself up on his other arm. “I’m a selkie, like I said, and like Gav, I can sorta transform my body at will, though usually makes my eyes black and my teeth sharper unless I have my pelt.”    
  
“...What happened?” Alfredo asked after he took a minute to digest the information.    
  
“You mean after you fainted and scared the shit out of me?” Jeremy asked, thumb stroking his hip bone in a hypnotically soothing way. “Well, Fiona, the seal who helped you pull me up, yelled at me, Geoff yelled at your unconscious body, and Trevor healed me right up before he nearly throttled Gavin and then healed you. You’ve been asleep most of the night. Meg and Lindsay are sleeping with Michael in his room, and Trevor crashed with Fiona.” he paused, then said, softer, “You really scared us. Sarah had to force you to sleep, your body was just seconds from going into shock, magic or no. Trevor says your glamour will be able to come back, but it’ll be a few days until it can stay up full force.”    
  
“On that note, what the fuck were you thinking, diving in after Jeremy like that?! You could waited like, thirty seconds more and Geoff would have gone after him, he doesn't need to breathe!" Gavin demanded, voice rising higher. “You nearly gave me a sodding heart attack, Alfredo! I thought I’d lost you!"

"I can hold my breath for almost three minutes. I would have been fine," Jeremy added, still swiping his thumb up and down Alfredo's hip, even as Alfredo pushed himself to sit upright.   
  
“The brain shuts down after six minutes when submerged and the lungs can only hold air from a single breath for a minute and a half when the body is thrown into a shocking temperature difference, selkie or not,” Alfredo mumbled, looking up at the ceiling. "That’s what I was thinking about. I-I just found you two. I  _ can’t  _ go back to how it was before, okay?” he closed his eyes, unwilling to see the pity, the anger, the fear, that cycled through Jeremy and Gavin, hitting his heart over and over. "I’ve lived my life without a soulmark, believing I’d never find either of you, and now-now I have you both, and the crew, and my friends, and I can’t--I can’t go back to how I was before. Wishing and wanting and not letting myself  _ have any of it. _ ”   


Jeremy's thumb stopped and Gavin's wings fluttered, fluffing up. He still didn't open his eyes.   


"Alfredo," Jeremy's voice was low and calm. "Alfredo, listen to me. Are you listening?" He nodded. "Good. I'll be honest. I was shit fucking terrified, being chucked into the water like that. I honest to god thought I would die and I never want to do that again. I never want to see you or Gavin look so scared again. And I know that's going to be hard, because of the life we're all too addicted to to quit just yet. There have been times where Gavin scared me witless, and times I've scared him just as bad. But we take care of each other, and now you're added to that too. Jesus Christ, Alfredo, I never want to see you hurt or bleeding, and I know I will. We deal with it, we take care of each other and we try not to give each other heart attacks."   


"Need us to leave, love?" Gavin murmured and Alfredo shook his head. "Okay. What do you need?"   


Alfredo felt an odd sense of deja vu as he grabbed Gavin's hand and looped two fingers around the rolled up waist band of Jeremy's sweats,   


"You two. Only you two. Just, this. Knowing you're alive and breathing."   


Jeremy pressed a kiss to his cheek, smiling softly. "We can do that. Very easily."   


"Best request I'd ever heard," Gavin cooed as he nuzzled Alfredo's neck, wings fluttering and shifting around them.    
  
Alfredo huffed a laugh and curled into Jeremy’s arms, pressing his back into Gavin’s chest.    
  
“Oh, I know that’s a lie,” he mumbled, yawning.    
  
“What? No it ain’t!” Gavin’s incredulous tone didn’t match up with the way his fingertips trailed up and down Alfredo’s side.    
  
“Both of you, sleep,” Jeremy huffed, amused. “It’s far past your bed times.”    
  
Alfredo chuckled, nuzzling into Jeremy’s hold, the other man wrapping his arms tight around Alfredo, Gavin’s wing draped over the both of them, blanketing them in an atmospheric warmth. It lulled Alfredo to sleep so much faster than he’d have assumed it would. He woke up, much later, due to the lack of gentle warmth and steady pressure, replaced instead with a warm blanket and a heavy arm around his waist and lips pressing kisses to his jaw and neck, gentle and soothing. He cracked an eye open, grinning as Jeremy moved away a little and followed him, pressing a sloppy kiss to his lips.    
  
“Morning,” he mumbled, smiling as Jeremy laughed against his lips, kissing him back.    
  
“Morning,”    
  
It was slow and lazy, Jeremy’s hands trailing down his chest and running up his side, pulling him closer. Alfredo chuckled into a kiss, tilting his head and groaning as it grew deeper, Jeremy moaning and biting his lip. Teeth and tongue got involved, their kisses growing more frantic, lips trailing from mouths to necks and cheeks, biting and nipping, pulling more noises. When they finally separated, Alfredo was straddling Jeremy’s thighs, Jeremy’s hips rolling up into Alfredo’s hand as he ground his palm down, the taller man panting slightly as he watched Jeremy and it was a sight. His cheeks were dusted a faint pink and his eyes were dark, pupils blown out, lips bitten red and shiny with spit. Alfredo leaned forward until their foreheads rested together, breathing hard.    
  
“You know, last time we were like this,” Alfredo rumbled, delighting in the shiver that ran through Jeremy. “I almost made you forget your own name,”    
  
“And I,” Alfredo felt the world turn and suddenly he was staring up at Jeremy, breathless, the other man grinning sharply at him as cool hands ran over his ribs, pushing his shirt up his chest. “Distinctly remember making _ you _ forget  _ yours _ , Fredo,”    
  
Alfredo swallowed and felt what little blood was left rush towards his cock as Jeremy ground their hips together, the shorter man moving until Alfredo was bracketed in place by his elbows, heat in his gaze and a warm, lazy smile pulling at his lips.    
  
“God, how are you so fucking handsome? So pretty,” Jeremy breathed, pressing a kiss at the corner of Alfredo’s eye, feather light. “So strong and  _ good. _ ”    
  
Alfredo made a strangled whine, clutching at Jeremy’s shoulders, wanting to pull him closer, have his weight press him into the bed and never let him up, never let him go. The soft stubble was fun to run his hands over, but he had a feeling if he did Jeremy would pin his hands to the bed. He gave another whine at that mental image.

"Oooh, you thought I'd forgotten about how much you like being praised?" Jeremy hummed, giving a breathless chuckle. "Forget how much you fucking love being at my mercy, at Gavin's mercy while he fucked you? God, I could paint pictures on you and they'd pale in comparison to just you, Alfredo." He leaned forward, nipping Alfredo's lips, pulling back before he could be drawn into another heated kiss. "Fucking Christ, you're so hot. Beautiful man,"   


"Y-You should see what I look like in panties and flannel then," Alfredo panted, rolling their hips together. "Apparently, my ass is fantastic,"   


Jeremy growled and kissed him hard, panting against his mouth. "That better be a god damn promise, Diaz."   


He just grinned. The three of them had had sex only a handful of times, but more than a few discussions, and Alfredo had delighted in the fact that all three of them were clean, though protection was usually more often preferred than not, and both Gavin and Jeremy were both into switching, and that a lot of their interests overlapped. Those that didn’t were things he’d wanted to research more before getting into, but those were thoughts for when he didn’t have a lapful of very attractive man staring at him like he couldn’t wait to devour him.   
  
Alfredo looked over as he heard a low groan from the doorway and felt his mouth go desert dry. Gavin had only a towel around his waist, water dripping off of him slowly like he’d dried himself off almost all the way before heading back to the bedroom. Alfredo whistled, the noise breathless but appreciative as Gavin shut the door the rest of the way, a near feral smile pulling at his lips as he sasheyed over. There was the muffled sound of the towel being thrown to the side as he crawled onto the bed and stretched out beside them, propping his head up on his hand, smug smile in place.    
  
“Hello there, Alfredo. You and Jeremy having fun?”    
  
He gave a shallow nod and shivered as Jeremy sat up, pulling his hands off and holding them, then pressing them into the pillows, staring down at Alfredo with a completely serious expression.    
  
“As much as I wanna fuck you, again, I made a promise last time. And I really,  _ really _ want to suck you off, Fredo. Can I?”    
  
Alfredo whimpered, the image of Jeremy’s lips wrapped around his cock, bringing him to the edge and likely leaving him there. Strong arms holding down his hips so he couldn’t jolt upward and fuck his face, or maybe he’d let him. He whined when Jeremy squeezed his wrists, dragging him back to the present and Gavin buried a hand in his hair, short as it was, scratching gently at his scalp.    
  
“Words, Alfredo,” Gavin murmured by his ear. “Need you to talk to us,”    
  
“Fuck, yeah,” Alfredo managed, swallowing a few times, voice like gravel already. “Please, J, come on, please. I’ll be good, I promise--”    
  
Jeremy grinned, sharp and dangerous, heat roaring in his eyes as he squeezed a little tighter, grunting as Alfredo’s hips rolled up, his head tilting back as he groaned at the sensation.   
  
“Yeah? You’re gonna stay still and not budge an inch while I suck you off? Gonna let Gav and I take you apart at the seams and show you how good you are?” he leaned in, trailing kissing up Alfredo’s neck and jaw, before kissing him sweetly and pulling away too soon. He chuckled softly as Alfredo followed him, eyes half open, a needy sound pulling from his throat.    
  
“Come on Fredo,” Gavin grinned, tilting Alfredo’s head towards him with a finger under his chin. “I’ve got some kisses for you too,”    
  
Alfredo hummed, feeling a wonderful heat curl in his spine, a low haze of arousal clouding his mind. Jeremy let go of his wrists to pull both their shirts off and Gavin immediately set to holding Alfredo’s forearms with one hand, kissing him deeply. The lean man was stronger than most anyone gave him credit for, and while Alfredo knew he could break out of the hold with a little bit of a struggle, he didn’t want to. The sheer heat of Gavin’s body was enough to warm him from head to toe even though very little of Gavin was actually touching him and Jeremy was a significantly cooler weight in comparison but so much more. Broader, more muscled, more active as he worked his way down Alfredo’s chest, hands constantly moving as he licked, sucked and bit, marking him up. Alfredo could feel his talons unsheathing, aching to dig into something even as Gavin pressed closer, Jeremy hauling his sweats and boxers off with one smooth move.    
  
“You’re so good, Alfredo. Making all those lovely noises, just for us. You flush so pretty, you know that right? Your face and chest are all pink, and your ears burn red like they were on fire.” he nipped the tip of Alfredo’s ear and giggled as it twitched. “So handsome, laid out for Jeremy and I. Fuck, I could just watch you all day,”    
  
Alfredo wanted to say something, but all that came out was a strangled version of Gavin and Jeremy’s names as Jeremy palmed his dick, palm slick with spit and pre come that dribbled from Alfredo’s cock. Alfredo managed to look down at Jeremy and almost immediately wished he hadn’t, if only because it pushed him just a little closer to the edge from the sight alone. Jeremy was staring up at him like he were divine, eyes half lidded and a warm, lazy heat burning in his eyes. One hand was wrapped around his cock, giving it long, loose pulls, just barely enough friction for him to feel it and it was maddening as it was arousing. His other arm was pressed against his hip, hand splayed on Alfredo’s stomach, pressing down hard enough to leave faint red marks. 

  
Jeremy gave him a slow smile and Alfredo nearly cried aloud at the waves of arousal want _ wantcareloveaffectionlovelovewant  _ creating an intense feedback loop between the three of them, no longer a low simmer of heat in the base of his spine. Jeremy bit the inside of his thigh, sucking a bruise as Gavin pulled Alfredo into a slow, heated kiss and he strained, arching his back, wanting to be closer, wanting to press as close he could. He pulled away from Gavin’s kiss to moan as Jeremy finally pulled his hand away, holding Alfredo’s hips in a near bruising grip that sent shivers down his spine and  _ finally  _ put his mouth on his cock.    
  
Jeremy didn’t give neat blowjobs; they were messy and loud, Jeremy moaning around his cock, eyes sliding shut as he slowly worked to deepthroat Alfredo until he was swallowing and his throat ached from how full he was. He stopped and groaned around Alfredo’s cock as it twitched and pulsed, pushing at his throat and Alfredo himself was straining against Gavin’s grip, back arching. A sob wrenched its way out of his chest, wordless. Gavin hummed, calmest out of the three of them but not unaffected, eyes burning gold as he sucked and kissed Alfredo’s jaw and neck, pulling away to look Alfredo over. His back was arched and his mouth was open just a little, quick, panting breaths making his chest rise and fall heavily as he tried to pull some kind of coherence together.    
  
“J-Jeremy, please,” Alfredo gasped, tears burning the corners of his eyes. “Fu-Fuck, hmmnnghh-!”    
  
Jeremy started to bob his head up and down, groaning as his eyes fluttered shut, fingers clutching at Alfredo’s hips like steel bands. He hoped it would bruise. Gavin, on the other hand, pulled away to sit up more, sitting on his knees and staring down at Alfredo, wild grin on his face.    
  
“You love being held down, don’t you? Torn apart at the seams and barely pulled back together again. You’d let us just tie you up and have our way with you for days, wouldn’t you? Bring you to the edge again and again until you forgot your name?”    
  
Alfredo gave a shaky nod, hips giving an aborted jump as Jeremy came almost all the way up before pulling off and mouthing at the head. Gavin swore as Alfredo gave another beautiful arch, straining against the need to pull his arms free from Gavin and pull him into a fierce kiss.    
  
“Gav, please, yes- Just--”    
  
“Just what?” Gavin hummed, leaning down a little more, his own cock hard, eyes bright. “Let you come? That what you want, Alfredo? Or, do you wanna hear about how good you are?” as the blush flushed brighter, Gavin smiled, though not unkindly. “Yeah, thought you would. You’re so good for Jeremy, Alfredo. Listening so well, such a  _ good boy _ . You’re body is gorgeous, the way your back arches and your chest stutters as you make such pretty sounds,”    
  
“F-Fuck, J-Gav, please, go-gonna,”    
  
“Gonna come?” Jeremy mumbled, pulling off and mouthing at the head of his cock, licking his lips. His voice was wrecked and Alfredo grunted, nodding frantically as he finally pulled his arms free of Gavin’s hold and buried his hands in the pillow behind him. “Come on, baby, come for us,”    
  
Alfredo cried, back arching as his hips rolled up as Jeremy swallowed him down in one smooth move. Alfredo could swear he blacked out for a moment as his orgasm washed over him, leaving him strung out and breathless in the best way. Underneath that was the steady feedback loop of warmth _ wantloveaffection _ from Jeremy and Gavin, echoing through him and hitting them too. The steady pressure of hands on his hips and someone petting through his hair pulled him back, slowly. Blearily, he opened his eyes and gave Gavin a dopey smile as the blond smiled back, cradling Alfredo’s head with one hand, breathing heavy. He looked down to Jeremy, only to find the man licking the last of Alfredo’s come from his lips, a filthy grin on his face, though he was more relaxed and lazy in his movements as he crawled up to Gavin, kissing first him, then Alfredo.    
  
“Fuck, Alfredo, you’re so god damn gorgeous,” Jeremy breathed when he pulled away, though not very far. “I came just from watching you fall apart, fuck.”    
  
Alfredo whined and tugged Jeremy in for another kiss, languid and slow, an evil idea curling in the back of his mind. Jeremy seemed to catch on and moaned, the kiss turning slow and filthy, Alfredo reaching up and finally cradling the back of Jeremy's head as Jeremy carded a hand over his undercut. He opened his eye a little and smirked; Gavin was leaning back, one hand wrapped around his own dick, moving slowly up and down, the slide slick with spit.    
  
“You putting on a show now?” Gavin asked, breathless as they pulled away from each other.    
  
“Maybe,” Alfredo murmured, stretching and flexing slowly before trailing his talons up Gavin’s hairy thighs, touch feather light but he saw the way the muscles jumped and how Gavin’s stomach tightened at the implication. “Hmmnn, god I wish I had the energy to fuck you, or suck you off. You fell apart a few days ago and looked so pretty as Jeremy made you come apart, having you practically bounce on his dick.”    
  
Jeremy chuckled, the sound hoarse and thick. “God, that felt amazing too, Gav.” he pulled away from Alfredo to sit up and wrap a hand around Gavin’s cock instead, squeezing, as his other hand wandered up his back, rubbing at the hidden joints where Gavin’s wings would unfurl. “How lucky are we, huh, Ry? Got him all to ourselves just as much as he’s got us. Fuck, almost wish I could go again right now just to have you fuck me,”    
  
“N-No fair,” Gavin stuttered, hips jolting as Alfredo dug his talons in just lightly, not really drawing blood but just shy. “S-Shit, c-close,” he curled, stomach fluttering in an almost hypnotic way as he grabbed the back of Alfredo’s head, just to hold onto something as Jeremy sped up.    
  
“Yeah, come on,” Alfredo panted, hazy warmth making his tongue heavy and words thick. “God, come on, Gavin, fall apart. Come for us, baby. You’d look so pretty, coming apart. Come on, baby,”    
  
The pet name seemed to do it and Gavin bit Jeremy’s shoulder as he came with a sharp cry, only half muffled. Alfredo watched Jeremy practically milk Gavin until his hips were stuttering and he was whining from the overstimulation. Alfredo pet Gavin’s thighs, squeezing gently now and again as he went limp, slowly crumpling against Jeremy. Jeremy, for his part, looked satisfied before he held his hand out, like he were asking Alfredo to grab a corner of the sheets and help him wipe it off. He grinned and grabbed his wrist, holding it steady as he laved his tongue over Jeremy’s hand, cleaning it of Gavin’s cum, and from the slight difference in taste, Jeremy's own cum as well. He smirked at the twin swears, pulling away and licking his lips. The taste wasn’t his favorite, or even a particularly remarkable flavor, but it was well worth it to see the desperate need on his partners faces.    
  
“Fucking hell,” Gavin breathed and Jeremy groaned as he pulled Alfredo into a deep, probing kiss that Alfredo happily returned.    
  
“Not the best flavor,” Alfredo rasped when he and Jeremy finally pulled away from each other, breathing heavy, but satisfied. “But damn I could do that more if it’s you two,”    
  
“God, you’re gonna kill me,” Jeremy groaned, eyes dark.    
  
Alfredo just smirked.    
  
“Okay, shower,” Gavin grunted, shifting. “And we need to change the sheets. Again. Bugger me, and I’d just taken a damn shower,”    
  
That broke the spell that settled over Jeremy and Alfredo, both of them laughing as they followed Gavin off the bed, legs unsteady, to the connected bathroom. It was a big walk in shower that let the three of them wash together. It took almost forty minutes for them to get completely clean, more time spent running their hands over each other and kissing than actually getting clean. Whispered praises and filthy, sweet promises were pressed to skin as hands traced muscles and gently soothed marks and bruises. Gavin screeched as the water started to get too cold, bolting from the shower and grabbing a towel, leaving Alfredo and Jeremy laughing themselves almost sick under the cold spray. Jeremy quickly shut it off and wrapped Alfredo in one of the fluffiest towels he’d ever used before pulling one around himself as well. He leaned up on his tiptoes, kissing Alfredo’s nose before he pulled away and lead the way back to the bedroom. Gavin had already gotten dressed and was in the process of remaking the bed, his wings half folded against his back as he moved. Alfredo dried himself off and dressed in a pair of lounge pants he was fairly certain were Gavin’s as he pulled on his shirt once more. Jeremy pulled on Alfredo’s sweats and his shirt, and then his red and white jacket, looking happy as a clam as he flopped face first on the bed.    
  
“Get up, you tosser! I just made that-!” Gavin complained, trying not to laugh, feathers fluffing up.    
  
“Mgmmnhh, but Gav-!!”    
  
“Come on, Lil J, there’s break-” Gavin didn’t even get to finish the word before Alfredo was out the door, picking up the smell of bacon and eggs.    
  
He ignored the laughter from his boyfriends as he practically ran down to the hall for the kitchen. Geoff’s breakfasts were legendary, and he was starving. The vampire looked up when he saw him, Lindsay half slumped over the island bar, coffee clutched in her hands, Meg asleep next to her. Michael was nowhere in sight, nor Jack, Matt, Fiona, or Trevor but he could hear the TV going.    
  
“Breakfast?” Geoff asked, grinning, fangs gleaming.    
  
“God, yeah,” Alfredo grabbed a plate and eagerly waited for Geoff to load him up with bacon, toast and eggs, sliding next to Lindsay.    
  
“You’re perky,” they said simply, taking a sip of coffee. “Five bucks says you got some,”    
  
Alfredo just grinned and took a bite of bacon as Gavin appeared at his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his cheek and swiping a slice of bacon, dancing away with a laughing squawk as Alfredo swiped at him.    
  
“Gav, don't steal his breakfast,” Jeremy scolded.    
  
Lindsay looked between all of them, looked at Geoff, who was staring at Gavin’s wings like he didn’t see them often, and then took a long drink of their coffee. “Real glad I soundproofed the bedrooms now.”    
  
Alfredo choked on his bacon as Geoff howled with laughter and Jeremy draped himself over Alfredo’s back, giggling and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. Meg grunted and shoved Lindsay slightly, picking up her head as Gavin squealed and his feathers puffed out. Geoff shook his head and sighed.    
  
“Too damn early for this. Gavin, go be useful and get the rest of those lumps up and set the table. You got wings, you can do shit twice as fast.”    
  
It seemed to be an old in joke as Gavin flipped Geoff off but did as he was asked, carefully keeping his wings folded. Jeremy stayed draped over Alfredo’s back, stealing his toast and another slice of bacon but Geoff gave him more when he grumbled about food stealing boyfriends.    
  
Jeremy paused, lowering the bacon slowly before he smiled and nuzzled Alfredo’s temple and what he’d just said caught up to him. Instead of freaking out, however, he felt only content. Alfredo giggled at the sound of Gavin rousing everyone else, the other man sprinting back into the kitchen and hiding behind Geoff, then skittering to Jeremy and Alfredo as Michael came charging in, a playful snarl on his face, Jack and Trevor not too far behind, the others grumbling and shuffling their way in behind them. Alfredo laughed and shook his head, a warm bubble of comfort settling the butterflies in his chest, finally. When they sat down for breakfast, finally, after all the antics had been pulled, for the moment at least, and Gavin was in between him and Jeremy, his wings draped over their shoulders, Alfredo couldn’t help the burst of love in his chest. From the echo, strong and sure, he got from Jeremy and Gavin, he knew he wasn’t alone. He felt loved, completely and utterly. He knew things wouldn’t be so peaceful all the time, and he couldn’t wait for when things picked up, but for the moment, he would take the peace.    


**Author's Note:**

> Alternative Chapter Titles: 
> 
> -Wishing For More 
> 
> -Lost and Found 
> 
> -Never Asked For This 
> 
> -Alfredo Needs All the Hugs


End file.
